Testing bosonic dark matter through white dwarf mass measurements

TL;DR

This paper proposes that a bosonic scalar field dark matter component within white dwarfs could explain observed mass measurement discrepancies, offering a new astrophysical test for ultralight bosonic particles.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model of white dwarf-boson star systems to explain mass measurement discrepancies and constrains properties of ultralight bosonic dark matter.

Findings

Scalar field fraction of 5-15% can account for redshift excess.

Provides bounds on ultralight boson mass and scalar field compactness.

Offers a new observational signature for bosonic dark matter in white dwarfs.

Abstract

Mass estimates of white dwarfs via electromagnetic methods, often differ from those obtained through gravitational redshift measurements, in some cases with discrepancies ranging in $5-15\%$ across independent datasets. Although many of the discrepancies reported in large spectroscopic surveys and confirmed by high-precision techniques such as astrometric microlensing and wide-binary analyses may be attributable to thermal effects, model uncertainties or measurement errors prevent a complete description of some of the observations. Here, we explore an alternative explanation based on the presence of a gravitationally coupled bosonic scalar field that contributes to the stellar mass while remaining electromagnetically invisible. We construct stationary, static mixed configurations consisting of a white dwarf that presents a bosonic scalar field (dark matter) component, forming a composite white dwarf-boson star system. We explore families of solutions showing that a scalar field fraction $f_{\rm DM} \sim 5-15\%$ to the mass contribution can account for the observed redshift excess. Our models provide a physically motivated explanation for the mass bias, might offer new observational signatures, and allow us to place preliminary constraints on the mass and compactness of the scalar field configuration. Finally, using our theoretical framework in combination with Bayesian model selection we provide plausible bounds for the mass of the constituent (ultralight) bosonic particle.