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Recent advances in quantum sensors, including atomic clocks, enable searches for a broad range of dark matter candidates. The question of the dark matter distribution in the Solar system critically affects the reach of dark matter direct detection experiments. Partly motivated by the NASA Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC), we show that space quantum sensors present new opportunities for ultralight dark matter searches, especially for dark matter states bound to the Sun. We show that space quantum sensors can probe unexplored parameter space of ultralight dark matter, covering theoretical relaxion targets motivated by naturalness and Higgs mixing. If an atomic clock were able to make measurements on the interior of the solar system, it could probe this highly sensitive region directly and set very strong constraints on the existence of such a bound-state halo in our solar system. We present sensitivity projections for space-based probes of ultralight dark matter which couples to electron, photon, and gluon fields, based on current and future atomic, molecular, and nuclear clocks.
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Search for fast-oscillating fundamental constants with space missions
Abstract While it is possible to estimate the dark matter density at the Sun distance from the galactic center, this does not give information on actual dark matter density in the Solar system. There can be considerable local enhancement of dark matter density in the vicinity of gravitating centers, including the Sun, the Earth, as well as other planets in the solar system. Generic mechanisms for the formation of such halos were recently elucidated. In this work, we studies the possible halo dark matter overdensities and corresponding dark matter masses allowed for various objects in the solar system. We explore spacecraft missions to detect such halos with instruments such as quantum clocks, atomic and molecular spectrometers designed to search for fast (tens of hertz to gigahertz) oscillations of fundamental constants, highly sensitive comagnetometers, and other quantum sensors and sensor networks.
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- PAR ID:
- 10579844
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Science + Business Media
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- EPJ Quantum Technology
- Volume:
- 12
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2662-4400
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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