PreprintCC BY 4.0arXiv
Enhancing Constraints on Ultralight Axion Dark Matter from Gravitational Capture
Abstract
Ultralight axions can be gravitationally captured by massive bodies such as the Sun, producing solar-bound gravitational atom states that amplify the local dark matter density through Bose-enhanced capture. For axion masses in the range 10−14eV≲ ma ≲ 10−13eV, this mechanism becomes exponentially efficient. We show that, for a representative decay constant fa∼ 3.5×107 GeV, the local axion dark matter density at Earth can grow to more than ten times the standard Galactic value of ρ0 = 0.4 GeV/cm3. Incorporating this overdensity, we derive updated limits on the axion-photon coupling from existing satellite and terrestrial measurements and present improved projections for upcoming experiments.
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BibTeX
@misc{giffin2026enhancing,
title = {{Enhancing Constraints on Ultralight Axion Dark Matter from Gravitational Capture}},
author = {Pierce Giffin and Pankaj Munbodh and Elisa G. M. Ferreira},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.39775},
eprint = {2609.39775},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39775},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Enhancing Constraints on Ultralight Axion Dark Matter from Gravitational Capture
AU - Pierce Giffin
AU - Pankaj Munbodh
AU - Elisa G. M. Ferreira
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.39775
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39775
AB - Ultralight axions can be gravitationally captured by massive bodies such as the Sun, producing solar-bound gravitational atom states that amplify the local dark matter density through Bose-enhanced capture. For axion masses in the range 10^−14eV≲ m_a ≲ 10^−13eV, this mechanism becomes exponentially efficient. We show that, for a representative decay constant f_a∼ 3.5×10^7 GeV, the local axion dark matter density at Earth can grow to more than ten times the standard Galactic value of ρ_0 = 0.4 GeV/cm^3. Incorporating this overdensity, we derive updated limits on the axion-photon coupling from existing satellite and terrestrial measurements and present improved projections for upcoming experiments.
ER -