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1. Constraints on the Hubble constant from supernova Refsdal’s reappearance

   https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh1322  

   Kelly, Patrick L. ; Rodney, Steven ; Treu, Tommaso ; Oguri, Masamune ; Chen, Wenlei ; Zitrin, Adi ; Birrer, Simon ; Bonvin, Vivien ; Dessart, Luc ; Diego, Jose M. ; et al ( June 2023 , Science)

   The gravitationally lensed supernova Refsdal appeared in multiple images produced through gravitational lensing by a massive foreground galaxy cluster. After the supernova appeared in 2014, lens models of the galaxy cluster predicted that an additional image of the supernova would appear in 2015, which was subsequently observed. We use the time delays between the images to perform a blinded measurement of the expansion rate of the Universe, quantified by the Hubble constant (H₀). Using eight cluster lens models, we infer$H_0={64.8}_{-4.3}^{+4.4}\text{ kilometers per second per megaparsec}$. Using the two models most consistent with the observations, we find$H_0={66.6}_{-3.3}^{+4.1}\text{ kilometers per second per megaparsec}$. The observations are best reproduced by models that assign dark-matter halos to individual galaxies and the overall cluster.

    

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2. Searching for dark photon dark matter in LIGO O1 data

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-019-0255-0  

   Guo, Huai-Ke ; Riles, Keith ; Yang, Feng-Wei ; Zhao, Yue ( December 2019 , Communications Physics)

   Dark matter exists in our Universe, but its nature remains mysterious. The remarkable sensitivity of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) may be able to solve this mystery. A good dark matter candidate is the ultralight dark photon. Because of its interaction with ordinary matter, it induces displacements on LIGO mirrors that can lead to an observable signal. In a study that bridges gravitational wave science and particle physics, we perform a direct dark matter search using data from LIGO’s first (O1) data run, as opposed to an indirect search for dark matter via its production of gravitational waves. We demonstrate an achieved sensitivity on squared coupling as$$\sim\! 4\times 1{0}^{-45}$$$~4\times 10^{-45}$, in a$$U{(1)}_{{\rm{B}}}$$$U{\left(1\right)}_B$dark photon dark matter mass band around$${m}_{{\rm{A}}} \sim 4\,\times 1{0}^{-13}$$$m_A~4\times 10^{-13}$eV. Substantially improved search sensitivity is expected during the coming years of continued data taking by LIGO and other gravitational wave detectors in a growing global network.

    

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3. The Velocity Dispersion Function for Quiescent Galaxies in Massive Clusters from IllustrisTNG

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad74fa  

   Sohn, Jubee ; Geller, Margaret_J ; Borrow, Josh ; Vogelsberger, Mark ( October 2024 , The Astrophysical Journal)

   We derive the central stellar velocity dispersion function (VDF) for quiescent galaxies in 280 massive clusters with$\log (M_{200}/M_{\odot })>14$in IllustrisTNG300. The VDF is an independent tracer of the dark matter mass distribution of subhalos in galaxy clusters. Based on the IllustrisTNG cluster catalog, we select quiescent member subhalos with a specific star formation rate <2 × 10⁻¹¹yr⁻¹and stellar mass$\log (M_{*}/M_{\odot })>9$. We then simulate fiber spectroscopy to measure the stellar velocity dispersion of the simulated galaxies; we compute the line-of-sight velocity dispersions of star particles within a cylindrical volume that penetrates the core of each subhalo. We construct the VDFs for quiescent subhalos withinR₂₀₀. The simulated cluster VDF exceeds the simulated field VDF for$\log {\sigma }_{*}>2.2$, indicating the preferential formation of large velocity dispersion galaxies in dense environments. The excess is similar in simulations and in the observations. We also compare the simulated VDF for the three most massive clusters with$\log (M_{200}/M_{\odot })>15$with the observed VDF for the two most massive clusters in the local Universe, Coma and A2029. Intriguingly, the simulated VDFs are significantly lower for$\log {\sigma }_{*}>2.0$. This discrepancy results from (1) a smaller number of subhalos with$\log (M_{*}/M_{\odot })>10$in TNG300 compared to the observed clusters, and (2) a significant offset between the observed and simulatedM_*–σ_*relations. The consistency in the overall shape of the observed and simulated VDFs offers a unique window into galaxy and structure formation in simulations.

    

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4. Constraints on metastable superheavy dark matter coupled to sterile neutrinos with the Pierre Auger Observatory

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.L081101  

   Abdul_Halim, A ; Abreu, P ; Aglietta, M ; Allekotte, I ; Almeida_Cheminant, K ; Almela, A ; Aloisio, R ; Alvarez-Muñiz, J ; Ammerman_Yebra, J ; Anastasi, G A ; et al ( April 2024 , Physical Review D)

   Dark matter particles could be superheavy, provided their lifetime is much longer than the age of the Universe. Using the sensitivity of the Pierre Auger Observatory to ultrahigh energy neutrinos and photons, we constrain a specific extension of the Standard Model of particle physics that meets the lifetime requirement for a superheavy particle by coupling it to a sector of ultralight sterile neutrinos. Our results show that, for a typical dark coupling constant of 0.1, the mixing angle${\theta }_m$between active and sterile neutrinos must satisfy, roughly,${\theta }_m\lesssim 1.5\times {10}^{-6}(M_X/{10}^9\mathrm{GeV}{)}^{-2}$for a mass$M_X$of the dark-matter particle between${10}^8\mathrm{GeV}$and${10}^{11}\mathrm{GeV}$.

   Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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5. More on black holes perceiving the dark dimension

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.015004  

   Anchordoqui, Luis A ; Antoniadis, Ignatios ; Lüst, Dieter ( July 2024 , Physical Review D)

   In the last two years, the dark dimension scenario has emerged as focal point of many research interests. In particular, it functions as a stepping stone to address the cosmological hierarchy problem and provides a colosseum for dark matter contenders. We reexamine the possibility that primordial black holes (PBHs) perceiving the dark dimension could constitute all of the dark matter in the Universe. We reassess limits on the abundance of PBHs as dark matter candidates from$\gamma$-ray emission resulting from Hawking evaporation. We reevaluate constraints from the diffuse$\gamma$-ray emission in the direction of the Galactic Center that offer the best and most solid upper limits on the dark matter fraction composed of PBHs. The revised mass range that allows PBHs to assemble all cosmological dark matter is estimated to be${10}^{15}\lesssim M_{\mathrm{BH}}/\mathrm{g}\lesssim {10}^{21}$. We demonstrate that, due to the constraints from$\gamma$-ray emission, quantum corrections due to the speculative memory burden effect do not modify this mass range. We also investigate the main characteristics of PBHs that are localized in the bulk. We show that PBHs localized in the bulk can make all cosmological dark matter if${10}^{11}\lesssim M_{\mathrm{BH}}/\mathrm{g}\lesssim {10}^{21}$. Finally, we comment on the black holes that could be produced if one advocates a space with two boundaries for the dark dimension.