Constraining scalar fields with stellar kinematics and collisional dark
  matter
  The existence and detection of scalar fields could provide solutions to
long-standing puzzles about the nature of dark matter, the dark compact objects
at the centre of most galaxies, and other phenomena. Yet, self-interacting
scalar fields are very poorly constrained by astronomical observations, leading
to great uncertainties in estimates of the mass $m_\phi$ and the
self-interacting coupling constant $\lambda$ of these fields. To counter this,
we have systematically employed available astronomical observations to develop
new constraints, considerably restricting this parameter space. In particular,
by exploiting precise observations of stellar dynamics at the centre of our
Galaxy and assuming that these dynamics can be explained by a single boson
star, we determine an upper limit for the boson star compactness and impose
significant limits on the values of the properties of possible scalar fields.
Requiring the scalar field particle to follow a collisional dark matter model
further narrows these constraints. Most importantly, we find that if a scalar
dark matter particle does exist, then it cannot account for both the
dark-matter halos and the existence of dark compact objects in galactic nuclei
