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arXiv · 2510.07387

Probing Dark Matter Interactions with Stellar Motion near Sagittarius A*

R. Andrew Gustafson·Ian M. Shoemaker·Volodymyr Takhistov
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Abstract

Stars orbiting Sgr A* at the Milky Way's center provide a unique laboratory to test gravity and dark matter (DM). We demonstrate that DM interactions in stellar interiors induce a novel momentum transfer force, altering orbits beyond gravitational effects. Using S2's 2000-2019 orbital data we derive the first astrophysical constraints on DM-nucleon scattering, excluding new sub-GeV parameter space. Stellar lifetime constraints over Myr timescales complement these, surpassing some direct detection and cosmological limits. This establishes stellar dynamics as a novel probe of DM interactions.

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R. Andrew Gustafson, Ian M. Shoemaker, Volodymyr Takhistov. 2025-10-08. Probing Dark Matter Interactions with Stellar Motion near Sagittarius A*. https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.07387

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