Prospects for a local detection of dark matter with future missions to Uranus and Neptune

Abstract

We investigate the possibility of detecting the gravitational influence of dark matter (DM) on the trajectory of prospective Doppler ranging missions to Uranus and Neptune. In addition, we estimate the constraints such a mission can provide on modified and massive gravity theories via extra-precession measurements using orbiters around the ice giants. We employ Monte Carlo-Markov Chain methods to reconstruct fictitious spacecraft trajectories in a simplified solar system model with varying amounts of DM. We characterise the noise on the Doppler link by the Allan deviation $\sigma_{\rm A}$, scaled on the Cassini-era value of $\sigma^{\rm{Cass}}_{\rm A}= 3 \times 10^{-15}$. Additionally, we compare the precision of prospective extra-precession measurements of Uranus and Neptune with the expected rates from simulations, in the context of modifications to the inverse square law. We estimate that the prospective mission will be sensitive to DM densities of the order of $\rho_{\rm{DM}} \sim 9 \times 10^{-20} \, (\sigma_{\rm A}/\sigma_{\rm A}^{\rm{Cass}}) $ kg/m$^3$, while the $1\sigma$ bound on the expected galactic density of $\rho_{\rm{DM}} \sim 5 \times 10^{-22}$ kg/m$^3$ decreases as $1.0 \times 10^{-20} \, (\sigma_{\rm A}/\sigma^{\rm{Cass}}_{\rm A})^{0.8}$ kg/m$^3$. An improvement of two to three orders of magnitude from the baseline Allan deviation would guarantee a local detection of DM. Only a moderate reduction in ranging noise is required to rule out Milgrom's interpolating function with solar system based observations, and improve constraints the graviton mass beyond current local- or gravitational wave-based measurements. Our analysis also highlights the potential of future ranging missions to improve measurements of the standard gravitational parameters in the solar system.