Dark matter consisting of ultralight bosons can form a macroscopic Bose-Einstein condensate with distinctive observational signatures. While this possibility has been extensively studied for axions and axion-like particles $-$ pseudoscalars with masses protected by shift symmetry $-$ realistic models from string theory and other higher-dimensional theories predict more complex structures. Here we investigate a two-field generalization where an axion couples to a moduli field through its kinetic term, representing the phase and radial modes of a complex scalar field. We demonstrate that when this system forms a gravitationally bound Bose-Einstein condensate, the kinetic coupling produces dramatic modifications to cosmological evolution compared to the canonical single-field case. Most notably, the axion Jeans scale becomes dynamically dependent on the moduli field's evolution, fundamentally altering structure formation. By mapping existing observational constraints from canonical axion models to our two-field scenario, we identify regions of parameter space that are already excluded by current observations. In particular, consistency with observations requires that the moduli field must take on small field values, $χ/M_{\rm pl} \ll 1$, throughout most of cosmic history for this class of axions to remain a viable description of all dark matter.
We provide a general framework for studying the dark energy cosmology in which a scalar field $ϕ$ is nonminimally and kinetically coupled to Cold Dark Matter (CDM). The scalar-graviton sector is described by the action of Horndeski theories with the speed of gravitational waves equivalent to that of light, whereas CDM is treated as a perfect fluid given by a Schutz-Sorkin action. We consider two interacting Lagrangians of the forms $f_1(ϕ,X)ρ_c (n_c)$ and $f_2 (n_c, ϕ,X) J_c^μ \partial_μϕ$, where $X=-\partial^μ ϕ\partial_μ ϕ/2$, $ρ_c$ and $n_c$ are the energy density and number density of CDM …
The main goal of this work is to propose a generalized model of interacting dark energy which allows for the kinetic term of a scalar field to couple to the matter species a priori in the action. We derive the modified field equations, and present novel cosmological solutions for a specific coupled model. One alluring consequence is the emergence of solutions allowing for an early scaling regime, possible due to two novel critical points, followed by a period of accelerated expansion. Using a dynamical system analysis, we show that the presence of the coupling may alter the dynamical nature of…
We present a kinetically mixed dark sector (KMIX) model to address the Hubble and $S_8$ tensions. Inspired from string theory, our model includes two fields: an axion, which plays a role similar to the scalar field in early dark energy models, and a dilaton. This theory differs from other axio-dilaton models aimed at the Hubble tension in that there is necessarily kinetic mixing between the two fields which allows for efficient energy transfer from the axion into the dilaton which has $w\approx1$. As a direct consequence of these dynamics, we find the model does not need to resort to a fine-tu…
We investigate an interacting dark energy model which allows for the kinetic term of the scalar field to couple to dark matter via a power-law interaction. The model is characterised by scaling solutions at early times, which are of high interest to alleviate the coincidence problem, followed by a period of accelerated expansion. We discuss the phenomenology of the background evolution and of the linear scalar perturbations and we identify measurable signatures of the coupling in the dark sector on the cosmic microwave background, the lensing potential auto-correlation and the matter power spe…
Dark matter might reside in a hidden sector which contains an unbroken $U(1)'$ gauge interaction kinetically mixed with standard $U(1)_Y$. Mirror dark matter provides a well motivated example of such a theory. We show that the DAMA, CoGeNT and CRESST-II experiments can be simultaneously explained within this hidden sector framework. An experiment in the Southern Hemisphere is needed to test this explanation via a diurnal modulation signal.
We investigate the inflationary dynamics of two kinetically-coupled massless $U(1)$ gauge fields with time-varying kinetic-term coefficients. Ensuring that the system does not have strongly coupled regimes shrinks the parameter space. Also, we further restrict ourselves to systems that can be quantized using the standard creation, annihilation operator algebra. This second constraint limits us to scenarios where the system can be diagonalized into the sum of two decoupled, massless, vector fields with a varying kinetic-term coefficient. Such a system might be interesting for magnetogenesis bec…
We explore the cosmic evolution of a scalar field with the kinetic term coupled to the Einstein tensor. We find that, in the absence of other matter sources or in the presence of only pressureless matter, the scalar behaves as pressureless matter and the sound speed of the scalar is vanishing. These properties enable the scalar field to be a candidate of cold dark matter. By also considering the scalar potential, we find the scalar field may play the role of both dark matter and dark energy. In this case, the equation of state of the scalar can cross the phantom divide, but this can lead to th…
We explore the cosmological consequences of kinetically mixed dark photons with a mass between 1 MeV and 10 GeV, and an effective electromagnetic fine structure constant as small as $10^{-38}$. We calculate the freeze-in abundance of these dark photons in the early Universe and explore the impact of late decays on BBN and the CMB. This leads to new constraints on the parameter space of mass $m_V$ vs kinetic mixing parameter $κ$.
Many extensions of Standard Model (SM) include a dark sector which can interact with the SM sector via a light mediator. We explore the possibilities to probe such a dark sector by studying the distortion of the CMB spectrum from the blackbody shape due to the elastic scatterings between the dark matter and baryons through a hidden light mediator. We in particular focus on the model where the dark sector gauge boson kinetically mixes with the SM and present the future experimental prospect for a PIXIE-like experiment along with its comparison to the existing bounds from complementary terrestri…
Asymmetric Dark Stars, i.e., compact objects formed from the collapse of asymmetric dark matter could potentially produce a detectable photon flux if dark matter particles self-interact via dark photons that kinetically mix with ordinary photons. The morphology of the emitted spectrum is significantly different and therefore distinguishable from a typical black-body one. Given the above and the fact that asymmetric dark stars can have masses outside the range of neutron stars, the detection of such a spectrum can be considered as a smoking gun signature for the existence of these exotic stars.
A hidden sector that kinetically mixes with the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model provides simple and well-motivated dark matter candidates that possess many of the properties of a traditional weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP). These supersymmetric constructions can also provide a natural explanation for why the dark matter is at the weak scale - even if it resides in a hidden sector. In the hidden sector, a natural pattern of symmetry breaking generally makes particles and their superpartners lie around the same mass scale, opening novel possibilities for a variety of cosmologica…
Motivated by recent attempts to reconcile hints of direct dark matter detection by the CoGeNT and DAMA experiments, we construct simple particle physics models that can accommodate the constraints. We point out challenges for building reasonable models and identify the most promising scenarios for getting isospin violation and inelasticity, as indicated by some phenomenological studies. If inelastic scattering is demanded, we need two new light gauge bosons, one of which kinetically mixes with the standard model hypercharge and has mass < 2 GeV, and another which couples to baryon number and h…
The axions produced during the QCD phase transition by vacuum realignment, string decay and domain wall decay thermalize as a result of their gravitational self-interactions when the photon temperature is approximately 500 eV. They then form a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). Because the axion BEC rethermalizes on time scales shorter than the age of the universe, it has properties that distinguish it from other forms of cold dark matter. The observational evidence for caustic rings of dark matter in galactic halos is explained if the dark matter is axions, at least in part, but not if the dark …
The dark axion portal is a coupling of an axion-like particle to a dark photon kinetically mixed with the visible photon. We show how this portal, when applied to the relaxion, can lead to cosmological relaxation of the weak scale using dark photon production. The key backreaction mechanism involves the Schwinger effect: As long as electroweak symmetry is unbroken, Schwinger production of massless Standard Model fermions, which carry dark millicharges, suppresses the dark photon production. Once the electroweak symmetry is broken, the fermions acquire mass and the suppression is lifted. An enh…
We examine the plausibility of crossing the cosmological constant ($Ł$) barrier in a two-field quintessence model of dark energy, involving a kinetic interaction between the individual fields. Such a kinetic interaction may have its origin in the four dimensional effective two-field version of the Dirac-Born-Infeld action, that describes the motion of a D3-brane in a higher dimensional space-time. We show that this interaction term could indeed enable the dark energy equation of state parameter $\wx$ to cross the $Ł$-barrier (i.e., $\wx = -1$), keeping the Hamiltonian well behaved (bounded fro…
We study the gravitational effect of non-self-annihilating dark matter on compact stellar objects. The self-interaction of condensate dark matter can give high accretion rate of dark matter onto stars. Phase transition to condensation state takes place when the dark matter density exceeds the critical value. A compact degenerate dark matter core is developed and alter the structure and stability of the stellar objects. Condensate dark matter admixed neutron stars is studied through the two-fuid TOV equation. The existence of condensate dark matter deforms the mass-radius relation of neutron st…
In this article we try to find out the conditions when a ghost field in conjunction with a barotropic fluid produces a stable accelerating expansion phase of the universe. It is seen that in many cases the ghost field produces a condensate and drives the fluid energy density to zero in the final accelerating phase, but there can be other possibilities. We have shown that a pure kinetic $k$-essence field (which is not a ghost field) interacting with a fluid can also form an interaction induced condensate and produce a stable accelerating phase of the universe. In the latter case the fluid energ…
Superconducting targets have recently been proposed for the direct detection of dark matter as light as a keV, via elastic scattering off conduction electrons in Cooper pairs. Detecting such light dark matter requires sensitivity to energies as small as the superconducting gap of O(meV). Here we show that these same superconducting devices can detect much lighter DM, of meV to eV mass, via dark matter absorption on a conduction electron, followed by emission of an athermal phonon. We demonstrate the power of this setup for relic kinetically mixed hidden photons, pseudoscalars, and scalars, sho…
We consider the growth of cosmological perturbations to the energy density of dark matter during matter domination when dark matter is a scalar field that has undergone Bose-Einstein condensation. We study these inhomogeneities within the framework of both Newtonian gravity, where the calculation and results are more transparent, and General Relativity. The direction we take is to derive analytical expressions, which can be obtained in the small pressure limit. Throughout we compare our results to those of the standard cosmology, where dark matter is assumed pressureless, using our analytical …
If dark matter in the galactic halo is composed of bosons that form a Bose-Einstein condensate then it is likely that the rotation of the halo will lead to the nucleation of vortices. After a review of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, the Thomas-Fermi approximation and vortices in general, we consider vortices in detail. We find strong bounds for the boson mass, interaction strength, the shape and quantity of vortices in the halo, the critical rotational velocity for the nucleation of vortices and, in the Thomas-Fermi regime, an exact solution for the mass density of a single, axisymmetric vorte…
We assume that dark matter is composed of scalar particles that form a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) at some point during the cosmic evolution. Afterwards, cold dark matter is in the form of a condensate and behaves slightly different from the standard dark matter component. We study the large scale perturbative dynamics of the BEC dark matter in a model where this component coexists with baryonic matter and cosmological constant. The perturbative dynamics is studied using neo- Newtonian cosmology (where the pressure is dynamically relevant for the homogeneous and isotropic background) which …
We study the conditions for successful Affleck-Dine baryogenesis and the origin of gravitino dark matter in GMSB models. AD baryogenesis in GMSB models is ruled out by neutron star stability unless Q-balls are unstable and decay before nucleosynthesis. Unstable Q-balls can form if the messenger mass scale is larger than the flat-direction field Phi when the condensate fragments. We provide an example based on AD baryogenesis along a d = 6 flat direction for the case where m_{3/2} \approx 2 GeV, as predicted by gravitino dark matter from Q-ball decay. Using a phenomenological GMSB potential whi…
We consider a general class of axion models, including the QCD and string axion, in which the PQ symmetry is broken before or during inflation. Assuming the axion is the dominant component of the dark matter, we discuss axion star formation in virialized dark minihalos around primordial black holes through gravitational Bose-Einstein condensation. We determine the conditions for minihalos to kinetically produce axion stars before galaxy formation. Today, we expect up to $\sim 10^{17}$ ($\sim 10^9$) axion stars in a radius of 100 parsecs around the Sun for the case of the QCD (string) axion.
We show that Dark Matter consisting of bosons of mass of about 1eV or less has critical temperature exceeding the temperature of the universe at all times, and hence would have formed a Bose-Einstein condensate at very early epochs. We also show that the wavefunction of this condensate, via the quantum potential it produces, gives rise to a cosmological constant which may account for the correct dark energy content of our universe. We argue that massive gravitons or axions are viable candidates for these constituents. In the far future this condensate is all that remains of our universe.
We study coherently oscillating massive gravitons in the ghost-free bigravity theory. This coherent field can be interpreted as a condensate of the massive gravitons. We first define the effective energy-momentum tensor of the coherent massive gravitons in a curved spacetime. We then study the background dynamics of the universe and the cosmic structure formation including the effects of the coherent massive gravitons. We find that the condensate of the massive graviton behaves as a dark matter component of the universe. From the geometrical point of view the condensate is regarded as a spacet…
We review the work done so far aimed at modeling in an alternative way the dark matter in the Universe: the scalar field/ Bose-Einstein condensate dark matter (SFDM/BEC) model. We discuss a number of important achievements and characteristics of the model. We also describe some of our most recent results and predictions of the model compared to those of the standard model of $Λ$CDM.
We consider the ghost-condensate model of dark energy with a generic potential term. The inclusion of the potential is shown to give greater freedom in realising the phantom regime. The self-consistency of the analysis is demonstrated using WMAP7+BAO+Hubble data.
Many candidate models for dark energy are based on the existence of a classical scalar field. In the context of Quantum Field Theory (QFT), we briefly discus the condensation of such a field from a light quantum scalar field produced by gradual decay of a heavy particle during cosmological time. We obtain the necessary conditions for survival of the condensate in an expanding universe and show that this process is directly related to quantum nature of the field which preserves the coherence of the condensate at cosmological distances. We also suggest a new interpretation of {\it vacuum energy}…
We analyze a model of cold axion Dark Matter weakly coupled with a dark gluon condensate, reproducing Dark Energy. We first review how to recover the Dark Energy behavior using the functional renormalization group approach, and ground our study on the properties of the effective Lagrangian, to be determined non-perturbatively. Then, within the context of $G_{SM}\times SU(2)_{D}\times U(1)_{PQ}$, we consider YMC interactions with QCD axions. We predict a transfer of Dark Energy density into Dark Matter density in a cosmological time that can be tested in the next generation of experiments dedic…
We consider the global cosmological evolution and the evolution of the density contrast in the Bose-Einstein condensate dark matter model, in the framework of a Post-Newtonian cosmological approach. In the Bose-Einstein model, dark matter can be described as a non-relativistic, Newtonian gravitational condensate, whose density and pressure are related by a barotropic equation of state. For a condensate with quartic non-linearity, the equation of state is polytropic with index $n=1$. The basic equation describing the evolution of the perturbations of the Bose-Einstein condensate is obtained, an…
In the 5-year WMAP data analysis, a new parametrization form for dark energy equation-of-state was used, and it has been shown that the equation-of-state, $w(z)$, crosses the cosmological-constant boundary $w=-1$. Based on this observation, in this paper, we investigate the reconstruction of quintom dark energy model. As a single-real-scalar-field model of dark energy, the generalized ghost condensate model provides us with a successful mechanism for realizing the quintom-like behavior. Therefore, we reconstruct this scalar-field quintom dark energy model from the WMAP 5-year observational res…
Bose--Einstein Condensates have been recently proposed as dark matter candidates. In order to characterise the phenomenology associated to such models, we extend previous investigations by studying the most general case of a relativistic BEC on a curved background including a non-minimal coupling to curvature. In particular, we discuss the possibility of a two phase cosmological evolution: a cold dark matter-like phase at the large scales/early times and a condensed phase inside dark matter halos. During the first phase dark matter is described by a minimally coupled weakly self-interacting sc…
We investigate the structure and stability properties of compact astrophysical objects that may be formed from the Bose-Einstein condensation of dark matter. Once the critical temperature of a boson gas is less than the critical temperature, a Bose-Einstein Condensation process can always take place during the cosmic history of the universe. Therefore we model the dark matter inside the star as a Bose-Einstein condensate. In the condensate dark matter star model, the dark matter equation of state can be described by a polytropic equation of state, with polytropic index equal to one. We derive …
The evolution of the electric and magnetic components in an effective Yang-Mills condensate dark energy model is investigated. If the electric field is dominant, the magnetic component disappears with the expansion of the Universe. The total YM condensate tracks the radiation in the earlier Universe, and later it becomes $w_y\sim-1$ thus is similar to the cosmological constant. So the cosmic coincidence problem can be avoided in this model. However, if the magnetic field is dominant, $w_y>1/3$ holds for all time, suggesting that it cannot be a candidate for the dark energy in this case.
We study the statefinder parameters in the Yang-Mills condensate dark energy models, and find that the evolving trajectories of these models are different from those of other dark energy models. We also define two eigenfunctions of the Yang-Mills condensate dark energy models. The values of these eigenfunctions are quite close to zero if the equation-of-state of the Yang-Mills condensate is not far from -1, which can be used to simply differentiate between the Yang-Mills condensate models and other dark energy models.
We study the mechanisms of the gravitational collapse of the Bose-Einstein condensate dark matter halos, described by the zero temperature time-dependent nonlinear Schrödinger equation (the Gross-Pitaevskii equation), with repulsive inter-particle interactions. By using a variational approach, and by choosing an appropriate trial wave function, we reformulate the Gross-Pitaevskii equation with spherical symmetry as Newton's equation of motion for a particle in an effective potential, which is determined by the zero point kinetic energy, the gravitational energy, and the particles interaction e…
Rotation curves of spiral galaxies are fundamental tools in the study of dark matter. Here we test the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) dark matter model against rotation curve data of High and Low Surface Brightness (HSB and LSB) galaxies, respectively. When the rotational velocities increase over the whole observed range, the fit of the BEC model is similar to the one of the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW) dark matter model. When however the rotation curves exhibit long flat regions, the NFW profiles provide a slightly better fit.
Once the temperature of a bosonic gas is smaller than the critical, density dependent, transition temperature, a Bose - Einstein Condensation process can take place during the cosmological evolution of the Universe. Bose - Einstein Condensates are very strong candidates for dark matter, since they can solve some major issues in observational astrophysics, like, for example, the galactic core/cusp problem. The presence of the dark matter condensates also drastically affects the cosmic history of the Universe. In the present paper we analyze the effects of the finite dark matter temperature on t…
We explore the possibility that the expansion of the universe can be driven by a condensate of spinors which are free of interactions on a 5D relativistic vacuum defined on an extended de Sitter spacetime which is Riemann-flat. The extra coordinate is considered as noncompact. After making a static foliation on the extra coordinate, we obtain an effective 4D (inflationary) de Sitter expansion which describes an inflationary universe. We found that the condensate of spinors here studied could be an interesting candidate to explain the presence of dark energy in the early universe. The dark ener…
We argue that the occurrence of late-time acceleration can conveniently be described by first-order general relativity covariantly coupled to fermions. Dark energy arises as a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer condensate of fermions which forms in the early universe. At late times, the gap and chemical potential evolve to have an equation of state with effective negative pressure, thus naturally leading to acceleration.
We investigate the possible parametric growth of photon amplitudes in a background of axion-like particle (ALP) dark matter. The observed extragalactic background radiation limits the allowed enhancement effect. We derive the resulting constraints on the axion-photon coupling constant $g_{aγ}$ from Galactic ALP condensates as well as over-densities. If ALP condensates of size $R$ exist in our Galaxy, a scan for extremely narrow unresolved spectral lines with frequency $ν$ can constrain the axion-photon coupling at ALP mass $m_a=4πν$ to $g_{aγ}\lesssim2\times10^{-14}(10\,{\rm kpc}/R)\,{\rm GeV}…
We constrain scattering length parameters in a Bose-Einstein condensate dark matter model by using galaxy clusters radii, with the implementation of a method previously applied to galaxies. At the present work, we use a sample of 114 clusters radii in order to obtain the scattering lengths associated with a dark matter particle mass in the range $10^{-6}-10^{-4}\, {\rm eV}$. We obtain scattering lengths that are five orders of magnitude larger than the ones found in the galactic case, even when taking into account the cosmological expansion in the cluster scale by means of the introduction of …
We discuss the possibility that a Born-Infeld condensate coupled to neutrinos can generate both neutrino masses and an effective cosmological constant. In particular, an effective field theory is provided capable of dynamically realizing the neutrino superfluid phase firstly suggested by Ginzburg and Zharkov. In such a case, neutrinos acquire a mass gap inside the Born-Infeld ether forming a long-range Cooper pair. Phenomenological implications of the approach are also discussed.
