Probing a minimal dark gauge sector via microlensing of compact dark objects
Abstract
We introduce a minimal Dark Standard Model (DSM) consisting of a single spin-0 particle with dark gauge symmetry, and completely decoupled from the visible sector. Characterized only by the scalar mass and the dark charge , this framework naturally gives rise to a rich phenomenology, including stable solitonic configurations that behave as dark "mini-MACHOs". We numerically build and evolve these gauged scalar-field solitons, derive their mass-radius relations, and identify a critical charge beyond which no gravitationally bound configurations exist. By combining these results with microlensing surveys that exclude compact objects heavier than the asteroid-mass scale (), we obtain the constraint for viable configurations, depending on . Our results represent a step forward in showing that purely gravitational observations can constrain the internal parameters of a dark gauge sector, and provide a framework for exploring broader DSM scenarios through future probes such as gravitational wave detections.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.00701,
title = {Probing a minimal dark gauge sector via microlensing of compact dark objects},
author = {Juan Barranco and Argelia Bernal and Víctor Jaramillo and Darío Núñez and Milton Ruiz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.00701},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
5+2 pages. Updated references and figures