Thermal Misalignment of Scalar Dark Matter
  The conventional misalignment mechanism for scalar dark matter depends on the
initial field value, which governs the oscillation amplitude and present-day
abundance. We present a mechanism by which a feeble (Planck-suppressed)
coupling of dark matter to a fermion in thermal equilibrium drives the scalar
towards its high-temperature potential minimum at large field values,
dynamically generating misalignment before oscillations begin. Unlike
conventional misalignment production, the dark matter abundance is dictated by
microphysics and not by initial conditions. As an application of the generic
mechanism, we discuss a realistic scenario in which dark matter couples to the
muon.
