Warm, not Fuzzy: Generalized Ultralight Dark Matter Limits from Milky Way Satellites
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866914567950434304 |
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| author | Nadler, Ethan O. Amin, Mustafa A. Wechsler, Risa H. Delos, M. Sten Benson, Andrew Gluscevic, Vera |
| author_facet | Nadler, Ethan O. Amin, Mustafa A. Wechsler, Risa H. Delos, M. Sten Benson, Andrew Gluscevic, Vera |
| contents | We generalize lower limits on the dark matter (DM) particle mass $m$ derived from Milky Way (MW) satellite galaxy abundances to scenarios in which DM is an ultralight scalar field produced with a field power spectrum peaked at a subhorizon wavenumber $k_*$. In these models, the DM field free-streams similar to warm dark matter while also exhibiting significant small-scale wave interference effects. The resulting dimensionless density power spectrum shows two effects: (i) free-streaming suppression at $k_{\rm fs}\sim k_{\rm eq}/[(k_*/a_{\rm eq}m)\ln(a_{\rm eq}m/k_*)]$; (ii) Poisson-like enhancement related to wave interference, at $k\gtrsim10^{-2}k_*$, which saturates near the Jeans scale $k_{\rm J}\sim k_{\rm eq}/(k_*/a_{\rm eq}m)$. Comparing these predictions with established constraints on a free-streaming cutoff in the linear matter power spectrum from the MW satellite population, we obtain $m>6\times10^{-18}\,{\rm eV}\,(k_*/10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1})$ for $k_*>10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ at 95\% confidence. For smaller $k_*$, Poisson-noise enhancement on MW satellite scales weakens the constraint, yielding $m>6\times10^{-18}\,{\rm eV}\,(k_*/10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1})^2$ for $k_*<10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ at 95\% confidence. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_15371 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Warm, not Fuzzy: Generalized Ultralight Dark Matter Limits from Milky Way Satellites Nadler, Ethan O. Amin, Mustafa A. Wechsler, Risa H. Delos, M. Sten Benson, Andrew Gluscevic, Vera Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Phenomenology We generalize lower limits on the dark matter (DM) particle mass $m$ derived from Milky Way (MW) satellite galaxy abundances to scenarios in which DM is an ultralight scalar field produced with a field power spectrum peaked at a subhorizon wavenumber $k_*$. In these models, the DM field free-streams similar to warm dark matter while also exhibiting significant small-scale wave interference effects. The resulting dimensionless density power spectrum shows two effects: (i) free-streaming suppression at $k_{\rm fs}\sim k_{\rm eq}/[(k_*/a_{\rm eq}m)\ln(a_{\rm eq}m/k_*)]$; (ii) Poisson-like enhancement related to wave interference, at $k\gtrsim10^{-2}k_*$, which saturates near the Jeans scale $k_{\rm J}\sim k_{\rm eq}/(k_*/a_{\rm eq}m)$. Comparing these predictions with established constraints on a free-streaming cutoff in the linear matter power spectrum from the MW satellite population, we obtain $m>6\times10^{-18}\,{\rm eV}\,(k_*/10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1})$ for $k_*>10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ at 95\% confidence. For smaller $k_*$, Poisson-noise enhancement on MW satellite scales weakens the constraint, yielding $m>6\times10^{-18}\,{\rm eV}\,(k_*/10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1})^2$ for $k_*<10^4\,{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ at 95\% confidence. |
| title | Warm, not Fuzzy: Generalized Ultralight Dark Matter Limits from Milky Way Satellites |
| topic | Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Phenomenology |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.15371 |