Title: BICEP/Keck XII: Constraints on axionlike polarization oscillations in the cosmic microwave background

Abstract

Here, we present a search for axionlike polarization oscillations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) with observations from the Keck Array. A local axion field induces an all-sky, temporally sinusoidal rotation of CMB polarization. A CMB polarimeter can thus function as a direct-detection experiment for axionlike dark matter. We develop techniques to extract an oscillation signal. Many elements of the method are generic to CMB polarimetry experiments and can be adapted for other datasets. As a first demonstration, we process data from the 2012 observing season to set upper limits on the axion-photon coupling constant in the mass range ${10}^{–21}–{10}^{–18}\mathrm{eV}$, which corresponds to oscillation periods on the order of hours to months. We find no statistically significant deviations from the background model. For periods larger than 24 hr (mass $m<4.8\times {10}^{–20}\mathrm{eV}$), the median 95% confidence upper limit is equivalent to a rotation amplitude of 0.68°, which constrains the axion-photon coupling constant to $g_{\Phi \gamma }<(1.1\times {10}^{–11}{\mathrm{GeV}}^{–1})m/\left({10}^{–21}\mathrm{eV}\right)$, if axionlike particles constitute all of the dark matter. The constraints can be improved substantially with data already collected by the BICEP series of experiments. Current and future CMB polarimetry experiments are expected to achieve sufficient sensitivity to rule out unexplored regions of the axion parameter space.

Authors:

Ade, P.  A. R.; Ahmed, Z.; Amiri, M.; Barkats, D.; Basu Thakur, R.; Bischoff, C.  A.; Bock, J.  J.; Boenish, H.; Bullock, E.; Buza, V.; Cheshire, J.  R.; Connors, J.; Cornelison, J.; Crumrine, M.; Cukierman, A. ;

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Dierickx, M.; Duband, L.; Fatigoni, S.; Filippini, J.  P.; Fliescher, S. more »; Goeckner-Wald, N.; Grayson, J.; Hall, G.; Halpern, M.; Harrison, S.; Henderson, S.; Hildebrandt, S.  R.; Hilton, G.  C.; Hubmayr, J.; Hui, H.; Irwin, K.  D.; Kang, J.; Karkare, K.  S.; Karpel, E.; Keating, B.  G.; Kefeli, S.; Kernasovskiy, S.  A.; Kovac, J.  M.; Kuo, C.  L.; Lau, K.; Leitch, E.  M.; Megerian, K.  G.; Moncelsi, L.; Namikawa, T.; Netterfield, C.  B.; Nguyen, H.  T.; O’Brient, R.; Ogburn, R.  W.; Palladino, S.; Prouve, T.; Pryke, C.; Racine, B.; Reintsema, C.  D.; Richter, S.; Schillaci, A.; Schmitt, B.  L.; Schwarz, R.; Sheehy, C.  D.; Soliman, A.; Germaine, T.  St.; Steinbach, B.; Sudiwala, R.  V.; Teply, G.; Thompson, K.  L.; Tolan, J.  E.; Tucker, C.; Turner, A.  D.; Umilta, C.; Vieregg, A.  G.; Wandui, A.; Weber, A.  C.; Wiebe, D.  V.; Willmert, J.; Wong, C.  L.; Wu, W.  L. K.; Yang, H.; Yoon, K.  W.; Young, E.; Yu, C.; Zeng, L.; Zhang, C. « less

Publication Date:

Fri Feb 12 00:00:00 EST 2021

Research Org.:

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); Keck Foundation; JPL Research and Technology Development Fund; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Contributing Org.:

BICEP/Keck Collaboration

OSTI Identifier:

1777370

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-76SF00515; 1145172; 1638978; 1836010; 1110087; 1145248; 0742818; 1638970; 0742592; 1639040; 1638957; 1145143; 1044978; 06-ARPA206-0040; 10-SAT10-0017

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physical Review D

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 103; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 2470-0010

Publisher:

American Physical Society (APS)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; Axions; Cosmic microwave background; Dark matter