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arXiv · 1705.05385

Decay of Ultralight Axion Condensates

Joshua Eby·Michael Ma·Peter Suranyi·L. C. R. Wijewardhana
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Abstract

Axion particles can form macroscopic condensates, whose size can be galactic in scale for models with very small axion masses $m\sim10^{-22}$ eV, and which are sometimes referred to under the name of Fuzzy Dark Matter. Many analyses of these condensates are done in the non-interacting limit, due to the weakness of the self-interaction coupling of axions. We investigate here how certain results change upon inclusion of these interactions, finding a decreased maximum mass and a modified mass-radius relationship. Further, these condensates are, in general, unstable to decay through number-changing interactions. We analyze the stability of galaxy-sized condensates of axion-like particles, and sketch the parameter space of stable configurations as a function of a binding energy parameter. We find a strong lower bound on the size of Fuzzy Dark Matter condensates which are stable to decay, with lifetimes longer than the age of the universe.

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Joshua Eby, Michael Ma, Peter Suranyi, L. C. R. Wijewardhana. 2017-05-15. Decay of Ultralight Axion Condensates. https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep01(2018)066

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