Probing the solar system for dark matter using the Sagnac effect

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of the Sagnac Effect for detecting dark matter in the Solar System, particularly within the Sun. Originating from the relative delay and interference of light beams traveling in opposite directions on rotating platforms, the effect can account for how varying gravitational conditions affect its manifestation. We analyze the Sagnac time in two static, spherically symmetric spacetimes: Schwarzschild and one incorporating dark matter, in the form of a perfect fluid. Comparing the relative deviations in Sagnac time calculated for these metrics in the reference frame of satellites orbiting our star, which serve as a rotating circular platform and emit laser beams in opposite directions, with the precision of onboard atomic clocks (about $10^{-11}$), allows us to evaluate the potential for detecting dark matter’s gravitational influence through this effect.