Master thesis presentation Amanda Carlsson Salomon, MPPHS

Abstract: Searches for heavier dark matter candidates have as of yet yielded no results, which motivates looking for lighter candidates. For very light dark matter, with mass below 1 eV, the dark matter can be described as classical waves rather than as individual particles, which motivates a field description of the dark matter. Candidates of this type are part of the so called wave dark matter model, for which there are a few possible dark matter candidates. This thesis investigates the scalar boson as a wave dark matter candidate, by looking into the possibility of detecting dark matter in a potential direct detection experiment here at Chalmers using levitated magnetomechanics. The detection method is based on that the scalar boson interacts with neutrons in a neutral test object, giving it a time-dependent EP-violating acceleration that can be detected. The focus of this thesis has been to develop a theoretical and statistical framework for the scalar boson by deriving this EP-violating acceleration and hypothetically test the experimental sensitivity of the proposed experiment. The sensitivity was analytically determined with the help of a likelihood formalism, and was expressed with exclusion and discovery limits for the coupling constant of the scalar-neutron interaction. The resulting limits determined for which values of the coupling constant a signal of dark matter would be detectable or not, and could also be compared to already existing sensitivity analyzes done for other experiments.

Supervisor: Riccardo Catena
Examiner: Riccardo Catena
Opponent: Alva Kinman