New ultralight scalar particles and the mass–radius relation of white dwarfs – the important role of Sirius B

ABSTRACT We present the equation of state for two classes of new ultralight particles, a scalar field coupling to electrons and a light $\mathbb {Z}_\mathcal {N}$ QCD axion field coupling to nucleons. Both are potential candidates for dark matter. Using the scalar modified equations of state, we calculate models for white dwarf stars and compare their radii and masses with observed mass–radius data. The comparison results in stringent constraints on the masses of the particles and the coupling parameters. For a wide range of particle masses and coupling parameters, constraints from the white dwarf equation of state surpass existing limits, outperforming also dedicated laboratory searches. The remarkable accuracy of modern white-dwarf mass–radius relation data, exemplified by Sirius B, now allows stringent tests of dense-matter physics and constraints on new particle scenarios.