English

Captured molecules could make a Bose star visible

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2024-11-18 v2 Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics Astrophysics of Galaxies General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

A Bose star passing through cold molecular clouds may capture atoms, molecules and dust particles. The observational signature of such an event would be a relatively small amount of matter that is gravitationally bound. This binding may actually be provided by invisible dark matter forming the Bose star. We may expect a relative excess of heavier atoms, molecules, and solid dust compared to the content of giant cold molecular clouds since the velocity of heavy particles at a given temperature is lower and it may be small compared to the escape velocity, vrms=3kBT/mgasvesc=2GM/Rv_\mathrm{rms} = \sqrt{3k_\mathrm{B} T/m_\mathrm{gas}} \ll v_\mathrm{esc}=\sqrt{2GM/R}. Finally, the velocity of this captured matter cloud may correlate with the expected velocity of free dark matter particles (e.g. expected axion wind velocity relative to Earth).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2407.21262,
  title  = {Captured molecules could make a Bose star visible},
  author = {V. V. Flambaum and I. B. Samsonov},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.21262},
  year   = {2024}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-28T17:58:49.592Z