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The memory burden effect is an explicit resolution to the information paradox by which an evaporating black hole acquires quantum hair, which then suppresses its rate of mass loss with respect to the semiclassical Hawking rate. We show that this has significant implications for particle dark matter that captures in neutron stars and forms black holes that go on to consume the host star. In particular, we show that constraints on the nucleon scattering cross section and mass of spin-0 and spin- dark matter would be extended by several orders of magnitude. Published by the American Physical Society2025
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This content will become publicly available on February 1, 2026
Characterizing the quantum properties of ultralight dark matter: An open quantum systems approach
Obtaining insight into the constituents of dark matter and their interactions with normal matter has inspired a wide range of experimental efforts. Several approaches, particularly those involving searches for ultralight bosonic dark matter (UBDM) fields, involve the use of quantum systems or measurements performed at the limits imposed by quantum mechanics. While a classical treatment of UBDM and its detectors is satisfactory, a fully quantum description would assist in developing future detection strategies. Here, we present an open quantum systems approach that accomplishes this while providing intuition into the quantum nature of the detection process itself. Furthermore, we apply the quantum theory of optical coherence to characterize the statistical properties of the UBDM field. Using representative examples, we show that this theoretical treatment has implications in uncovering signatures of the cosmological production mechanism of the UBDM field and its galactic merger history. By adapting tools from quantum optics, this work will help facilitate the creation of novel methods to extract astrophysically relevant information from correlation measurements. Published by the American Physical Society2025
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- Award ID(s):
- 2047707
- PAR ID:
- 10617974
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Physical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review D
- Volume:
- 111
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 2470-0010
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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