Theory Seminars
Are dark photon solitons dark? Parametric resonance, dipole radiation, and kinetic mixing: observational prospects
by
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Europe/Madrid
IFAE Seminar Room (In-Person)
IFAE Seminar Room
In-Person
Description
Light dark photons are compelling dark-matter candidates that naturally form gravitationally bound compact objects—vector solitons—in the wave-like regime. I will discuss how effective interactions between dark photons and electromagnetism can open radiative channels that make these solitons observable. First, higher-dimensional (dimension-6) operators inducing dark photon–photon couplings can trigger parametric-resonance emission in vacuum and dipole radiation in external electromagnetic fields. Second, kinetic mixing provides an additional, generic pathway for photon production: in the presence of ambient charge densities, the oscillating soliton can source electromagnetic radiation. I will present the underlying mechanism, identify the parameter dependencies controlling the radiated power and characteristic frequencies, and outline prospective astrophysical targets and search strategies that can test these scenarios. Together, these effects turn dark photon solitons into laboratories for new “vector-portal” dark matter discovery, connecting compact-object dynamics to observational radio constraints and future surveys.