Ultralight Dark Matter: Undergraduate Physics in Modern Cosmology

TL;DR

This paper introduces undergraduate-level exercises and discussions to help students understand ultralight dark matter, connecting modern cosmological research with fundamental physics concepts.

Contribution

It provides educational resources that bridge undergraduate physics and current research on ultralight dark matter.

Findings

Educational exercises facilitate understanding of ultralight dark matter.

Connects undergraduate physics concepts with cosmological research.

Encourages integration of modern research into teaching.

Abstract

Ultralight dark matter is a hypothetical class of particle with a number of interesting theoretical and experimental properties, many of which are best understood by direct analogy with or application of undergraduate physics. We present a series of exercises and discussions which may inspire the reader to bring contemporary research on ultralight dark matter into the undergraduate classroom.