Published September 20, 2024 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Constraints on fifth forces and ultralight dark matter from OSIRIS-REx target asteroid Bennu

  • 1. University of Chicago
  • 2. California Institute of Technology
  • 3. European Space Agency
  • 4. University of Trento
  • 5. Tsung-Dao Lee Institute

Description

It is important to test the possible existence of fifth forces, as ultralight bosons that would mediate these are predicted to exist in several well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model. Recent work indicated asteroids as promising probes, but applications to real data are lacking so far. Here we use the OSIRIS-REx mission and ground-based tracking data for the asteroid Bennu to derive constraints on fifth forces. Our limits are strongest for mediator masses m ~ (10−18-10−17) eV, where we currently achieve the tightest bounds. These can be translated to a wide class of models leading to Yukawa-type fifth forces, and we demonstrate how they apply to U(1)B dark photons and baryon-coupled scalars. Our results demonstrate the potential of asteroid tracking in probing well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model and ultralight bosons near the fuzzy dark matter range.

Data availability

All OSIRIS-REx data are archived in the Small Bodies Node of the Planetary Data System at https://sbn.psi.edu/pds/resource/orex/. Shape models of Bennu are available via the Small Body Mapping Tool (http://sbmt.jhuapl.edu/). Kernels and small-force files are available via NASA's Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/ORX/).

The analysis code is sensitive and proprietary to JPL property. A request to access the code can be made to Davide Farnocchia and also requires approval from NASA JPL.

Files

Constraints-on-fifth-forces-and-ultralight-dark-matter-from-OSIRIS-REx-target-asteroid-Bennu.pdf

Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.1038/s42005-024-01779-3
Other
oai:uchicago.tind.io:13576

Funding

U.S. National Science Foundation
Theoretical Physics Program
U.S. Department of Energy
DE-FG02-00ER41132
National Science Foundation
PHY-1748958
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
80NM0018D0004
University of Trento and the Provincia Autonoma di Trento
“Searching for Dark Energy off the beaten track” (DARKTRACK)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN)
Commissione Scientifica Nazionale 4 (CSN4) Iniziativa Specifica “Quantum Fields in Gravity, Cosmology and Black Holes” (FLAG)
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
Astrophysical Axion Laboratories

UChicago Information

Division(s)
Physical Sciences Division
Center(s) or Institute(s)
Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics