Ultralight DM bosons with an axion-like potential: scale-dependent constraints revisited

A scalar field endowed with a trigonometric potential has been proposed to play the role of Dark Matter. A deep study of the cosmological evolution of linear perturbations, and its comparison to the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) and Fuzzy Dark Matter (FDM) cases (scalar field with quadratic potential), reveals an enhancement in the amplitude of the mass power spectrum for large wave numbers due to the non-linearity of the axion-like potential. For the first time, we study the scale-dependence on physical quantities such as the growth factor Dk, the velocity growth factor f(k), and f(k)sigma(8). We found that for z < 10, all these quantities recover the CDM evolution, whereas for high redshift there is a clear distinction between each model (FDM case, and axion-like potential) depending on the wavenumber k and on the decay parameter of the axion-like potential as well. A semi-analytical Halo Mass Function is also revisited, finding a suppression of the number of low mass halos, as in the FDM case, but with a small increment in the amplitude of the variance and halo mass function due to the non-linearity of the axion-like potential. Finally, we present constraints on the axion mass and the axion decay parameter by using data of the Planck Collaboration 2018 and Lyman-alpha forest.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the possibility of a scalar field with a trigonometric potential as dark matter, analyzing its impact on the mass power spectrum and various physical quantities. The study reveals clear distinctions between the axion-like potential and FDM models in different wave numbers and redshifts. Additionally, the research explores the effects on the halo mass function.