Speaker
Description
Axion-like particles have become a popular dark matter candidate in the past decade, in part due to their fascinating wave-like dynamics. This small-scale behavior is due to characteristic observable cores in ULDM called solitons, which also correspond to the ground state of the equations governing the particles’ dynamics. Thus, one promising avenue for studying ULDM dynamics is by treating individual halos as gravitating hydrogen atoms and calculating the full spectrum of their eigenstates, which are then linked to the qualitative behaviours of the halo. In this talk, I will outline a way forward for predicting distinct phases of ground states of two axion species models, in line with expectations from cold atoms research. The ultimate aim of this research direction is to create a link between UV axiverse predictions to testable astrophysical predictions.