Stellar Bounds on Light Spin-2 Particles in Bimetric Theories

Abstract

Using the bimetric formalism, we compute the production and emission rates of light spin-2 particles in non-degenerate stellar interiors through photoproduction and bremsstrahlung processes, including the effects of plasma screening. By comparing the resulting energy-loss rates with observational limits on stellar cooling, we derive bounds on the coupling strength and mass of the spin-2 particle. Assuming these particles are the dark matter of the Universe, the obtained constraints are competitive with existing astrophysical and cosmological limits, excluding a wide region of parameter space in the mass range 5-30 eV.

Comments: 21 pages, 2 figures