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Title: Magnetars and axion-like particles: probes with the hard X-ray spectrum

Abstract

Quiescent hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray emission from neutron stars constitute a promising frontier to explore axion-like-particles (ALPs). ALP production in the core peaks at energies of a few keV to a few hundreds of keV; subsequently, the ALPs escape and convert to photons in the magnetosphere. The emissivity goes as ~T6 while the conversion probability is enhanced for large magnetic fields, making magnetars, with their high core temperatures and strong magnetic fields, ideal targets for probing ALPs. We compute the energy spectrum of photons resulting from conversion of ALPs in the magnetosphere and then compare it against hard X-ray data from NuSTAR, INTEGRAL, and XMM-Newton, for a set of eight magnetars for which such data exists. Upper limits are placed on the product of the ALP-nucleon and ALP-photon couplings. For the production in the core, we perform a calculation of the ALP emissivity in degenerate nuclear matter modeled by a relativistic mean field theory. The reduction of the emissivity due to improvements to the one-pion exchange approximation is incorporated, as is the suppression of the emissivity due to proton superfluidity in the neutron star core. A range of core temperatures is considered, corresponding to different models of the steadymore » heat transfer from the core to the stellar surface. For the subsequent conversion, we solve the coupled differential equations mixing ALPs and photons in the magnetosphere. The conversion occurs due to a competition between the dipolar magnetic field and the photon refractive index induced by the external magnetic field. Semi-analytic expressions are provided alongside the full numerical results. Furthermore, we also present an analysis of the uncertainty on the axion limits we derive due to the uncertainties in the magnetar masses, nuclear matter equation of state, and the proton superfluid critical temperature.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2]
  1. Univ. Laval, Quebec (Canada)
  2. Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)
  3. Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States); Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
  4. Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Nuclear Physics (NP); National Science Foundation (NSF)
OSTI Identifier:
1830785
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-05ER41375; SC0009956; FG02-00ER41132; PHY-1430152
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 2021; Journal Issue: 06; Journal ID: ISSN 1475-7516
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; axions; X-ray telescopes; neutron stars

Citation Formats

Fortin, Jean-François, Guo, Huai-Ke, Harris, Steven P., Sheridan, Elijah, and Sinha, Kuver. Magnetars and axion-like particles: probes with the hard X-ray spectrum. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2021/06/036.
Fortin, Jean-François, Guo, Huai-Ke, Harris, Steven P., Sheridan, Elijah, & Sinha, Kuver. Magnetars and axion-like particles: probes with the hard X-ray spectrum. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2021/06/036
Fortin, Jean-François, Guo, Huai-Ke, Harris, Steven P., Sheridan, Elijah, and Sinha, Kuver. Thu . "Magnetars and axion-like particles: probes with the hard X-ray spectrum". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2021/06/036. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1830785.
@article{osti_1830785,
title = {Magnetars and axion-like particles: probes with the hard X-ray spectrum},
author = {Fortin, Jean-François and Guo, Huai-Ke and Harris, Steven P. and Sheridan, Elijah and Sinha, Kuver},
abstractNote = {Quiescent hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray emission from neutron stars constitute a promising frontier to explore axion-like-particles (ALPs). ALP production in the core peaks at energies of a few keV to a few hundreds of keV; subsequently, the ALPs escape and convert to photons in the magnetosphere. The emissivity goes as ~T6 while the conversion probability is enhanced for large magnetic fields, making magnetars, with their high core temperatures and strong magnetic fields, ideal targets for probing ALPs. We compute the energy spectrum of photons resulting from conversion of ALPs in the magnetosphere and then compare it against hard X-ray data from NuSTAR, INTEGRAL, and XMM-Newton, for a set of eight magnetars for which such data exists. Upper limits are placed on the product of the ALP-nucleon and ALP-photon couplings. For the production in the core, we perform a calculation of the ALP emissivity in degenerate nuclear matter modeled by a relativistic mean field theory. The reduction of the emissivity due to improvements to the one-pion exchange approximation is incorporated, as is the suppression of the emissivity due to proton superfluidity in the neutron star core. A range of core temperatures is considered, corresponding to different models of the steady heat transfer from the core to the stellar surface. For the subsequent conversion, we solve the coupled differential equations mixing ALPs and photons in the magnetosphere. The conversion occurs due to a competition between the dipolar magnetic field and the photon refractive index induced by the external magnetic field. Semi-analytic expressions are provided alongside the full numerical results. Furthermore, we also present an analysis of the uncertainty on the axion limits we derive due to the uncertainties in the magnetar masses, nuclear matter equation of state, and the proton superfluid critical temperature.},
doi = {10.1088/1475-7516/2021/06/036},
journal = {Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics},
number = 06,
volume = 2021,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Thu Jun 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}

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