A solution to the Hubble tension with self-interacting ultralight dark matter

Abstract

We show that oscillations of self-interacting ultralight dark matter with a characteristic energy scale $\tilde{m}\simeq 1eV$ naturally act as an extra radiation component just before the recombination era, decreasing the sound horizon radius of the photon-baryon fluid. This reduction leads to an increase in the present-day Hubble parameter, potentially resolving the Hubble tension without the need for exotic matter or energy. The required mass and quartic self-interaction coupling are consistent with current astronomical constraints, including the relic dark matter density. This model could also reduce the $S_8$ tension often associated with other early-time solutions.