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4 years ago in Astrophysics , Particle Physics By Tom
Can astronomical scatter data be used to infer quantum-level particle physics information?
 I work on cosmological parameter estimation, and we often treat scatter as noise. But given that this scatter originates from the initial quantum fluctuations, I'm wondering if its detailed statistical properties, like non-Gaussianities, could be reverse-engineered to constrain, say, the mass or cross-section of a hypothetical dark matter particle candidate.
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By Avinash Kumar Answered 3 years ago
It's not a long shot; it's an active and challenging frontier. I have worked on projects trying to do exactly this. The scatter itself is a goldmine of information. For instance, the small-scale cutoff in the matter power spectrum can, in principle, constrain the free-streaming length of a warm dark matter particle, giving you a mass estimate. However, the challenge is degenerative: galactic astrophysics (like supernova feedback) injects its own "astrophysical scatter." The key is to use multiple, independent probes like combining galaxy clustering with the Lyman-alpha forest to break these degeneracies and isolate the particle physics signal.
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