ACP Seminar (Astronomy - Cosmology - Particle Physics)

Speaker: Nemanja Kaloper (UC Davis)
Title: Levitating Dark Matter
Date (JST): Wed, Dec 15, 2010, 15:30 - 16:30
Place: Seminar Room A
Related File: 387.pdf
Abstract: A sizable fraction of the total energy density of the universe may be in heavy particles with a net dark $U(1)'$ charge comparable to its mass. When the charges have the same sign the cancellation between their gravitational and gauge forces may lead to a mismatch between different measures of masses in the universe. Measuring galactic masses by orbits of normal matter, such as galaxy rotation curves or lensing, will give the total mass, while the flows of dark matter agglomerates may yield smaller values if the gauge repulsion is not accounted for. If distant galaxies which house light beacons like SNe Ia contain such dark particles, the observations of their cosmic recession may mistake the weaker forces for an extra `antigravity', and infer an effective dark energy equation of state smaller than the real one. In some cases, including that of a cosmological constant, these effects can mimic $w<-1$. They can also lead to a local variation of galaxy-galaxy forces, yielding anomalies in the `Hubble Flow' in those regions of space, that could be mistaken for a dynamical dark energy, or even superhorizon effects.