Abstract: Gravitational interactions with compact objects may be one of the most promising tools for investigating dark matter properties. In particular, the presence of dark matter around black holes may lead to a distinctive dephasing of the gravitational wave signal from a merger due to dynamical friction and accretion. In this talk I will present the numerical results from calculating the dynamical friction and momentum accretion on a black hole generated by a cloud of ultra-light scalar field, confirming the regime of validity of semi-analytic expressions derived from first principles. I will show how both of these drag forces transition between different regimes of validity and identify the scalar masses at which this transition occurs.
Relativistic drag forces on black holes from scalar dark matter clouds
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