Detecting Solar Axions Using Earth's Magnetic Field

Journal Article · Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.97.141302· OSTI ID:20860905

Davoudiasl, Hooman; Huber, Patrick ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

We show that solar axion conversion to photons in the Earth's magnetosphere can produce an x-ray flux, with average energy <{omega}>{approx_equal}4 keV, which is measurable on the dark side of the Earth. The smallness of the Earth's magnetic field is compensated by a large magnetized volume. For axion masses m{sub a}(less-or-similar sign)10{sup -4} eV, a low-Earth-orbit x-ray detector with an effective area of 10{sup 4} cm{sup 2}, pointed at the solar core, can probe the photon-axion coupling down to 10{sup -11} GeV{sup -1}, in 1 yr. Thus, the sensitivity of this new approach will be an order of magnitude beyond current laboratory limits.

• OSTI ID: 20860905
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 97, Issue 14; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.141302; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AXIONS
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
KEV RANGE 01-10
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHOTONS
SOLAR PARTICLES
X RADIATION