Testing ultra-light dark matter models with astrophysical surveys

• Grant number: 24/13823-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Extragalactic Astrophysics
• Principal Investigator: Luis Raul Weber Abramo
• Grantee: Fernanda Lima Matos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Dark matter makes up about 85% of the universe's matter density. However, its fundamental nature is still unknown, representing a major gap in our understanding of the universe. There are many models for this elusive component. Ultra-light dark matter (ULDM), or ultra-light axions (ULA), are the lightest dark matter candidates, and, given their well-motivated microphysics and rich phenomenology, have become one of the leading dark matter candidates. In this project, we want to use the latest astrophysical surveys to link physical properties of ULDM. In particular, we will focus on the Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) and the Javalambre Physics of the Accelerating Universe (J-PAS). These surveys should improve cosmological links and provide access to precise measurements at small scales, which are of particular interest for ULDM phenomenology. We intend, in addition to extending existing analyzes to these new data sets, to link ULDM models with higher spins, such as dark photons, which are still little explored in the literature. The construction of a theoretical description and simulations with such models, to obtain more accurate predictions, is one of the objectives of this project.This proposal is timely, given that these surveys will collect data during the development of the project, allowing the student to participate in designing the pipeline, obtaining predictions and analyzing data from these experiments. We hope that this project will provide significant improvements to current limits on ULAs and the first limits on higher spin ULDM models.