Scalar Fields on Galactic Scales

Light scalar fields are a popular dark matter candidate, often called `fuzzy dark matter.' Light scalar fields are also often studied as theories of modified gravity, which could be relevant on galactic scales. In practise the theories that are considered are very similar at the level of the action, with some differences between the self-interactions and couplings to other particles included. This project will study the full phenomenology of introducing these new degrees of freedom on galactic scales, including how both dark matter and modified gravity phenomenology could be combined in one model, and how such fields could best be detected.