Axion miniclusters in the late universe: survival in the galaxy and typical signals in experiments

by Dr Virgile Dandoy (Université libre de Bruxelles)

Thursday 11 Jan 2024, 15:00 → 16:30 Europe/Berlin

seminar room 3 (bldg. 1b)

Dark matter searches are highly influenced by the spatial arrangement of the dark matter candidate. Specifically, what consequences would arise if the candidate exhibits clustered structures?  One notable illustration is given by the axion miniclusters. Emerging within a scenario where axions are produced after inflation, these structures consist of axions bound by gravitational forces, with a mass close to the one of the Moon with the radius of the Sun. Given that they would form as early as during the matter-radiation equality epoch, the initial population of axion miniclusters is subjects to many effects that alter, damage and even destroy them. We study how those structures would survive once they become bound in the galaxy and start interacting with stars. Finally, we show the typical signals in experiments we should expect once one of them encounter the Earth.