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Title: First Constraints on Heavy QCD Axions with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Using the ArgoNeuT Experiment

Abstract

We present the results of a search for heavy QCD axions performed by the ArgoNeuT experiment at Fermilab. We search for heavy axions produced in the NuMI neutrino beam target and absorber decaying into dimuon pairs, which can be identified using the unique capabilities of ArgoNeuT and the MINOS near detector. This decay channel is motivated by a broad class of heavy QCD axion models that address the strong CP and axion quality problems with axion masses above the dimuon threshold. We obtain new constraints at a 95% confidence level for heavy axions in the previously unexplored mass range of 0.2–0.9 GeV, for axion decay constants around tens of TeV.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ORCiD logo; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »; ; ; ; ; « less
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Contributing Org.:
ArgoNeuT Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1975868
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1885999; OSTI ID: 2331447
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-22-527-ND-T; UMN-TH-4128/22; FTPI-MINN-22/19; arXiv:2207.08448
Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007; PRLTAO; 221802
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-07CH11359; SC0011842; AC02-05CH11231; SC0022345
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Volume: 130 Journal Issue: 22; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; hypothetical particle physics models; axions; muons; neutrino detectors

Citation Formats

Acciarri, R., Adams, C., Baller, B., Basque, V., Cavanna, F., Co, R. T., Fitzpatrick, R. S., Fleming, B., Green, P., Harnik, R., Kelly, K. J., Kumar, S., Lang, K., Lepetic, I., Liu, Z., Luo, X., Lyu, K. F., Palamara, O., Scanavini, G., Soderberg, M., Spitz, J., Szelc, A. M., Wu, W., Yang, T., and The ArgoNeuT Collaboration. First Constraints on Heavy QCD Axions with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Using the ArgoNeuT Experiment. United States: N. p., 2023. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.221802.
Acciarri, R., Adams, C., Baller, B., Basque, V., Cavanna, F., Co, R. T., Fitzpatrick, R. S., Fleming, B., Green, P., Harnik, R., Kelly, K. J., Kumar, S., Lang, K., Lepetic, I., Liu, Z., Luo, X., Lyu, K. F., Palamara, O., Scanavini, G., Soderberg, M., Spitz, J., Szelc, A. M., Wu, W., Yang, T., & The ArgoNeuT Collaboration. First Constraints on Heavy QCD Axions with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Using the ArgoNeuT Experiment. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.221802
Acciarri, R., Adams, C., Baller, B., Basque, V., Cavanna, F., Co, R. T., Fitzpatrick, R. S., Fleming, B., Green, P., Harnik, R., Kelly, K. J., Kumar, S., Lang, K., Lepetic, I., Liu, Z., Luo, X., Lyu, K. F., Palamara, O., Scanavini, G., Soderberg, M., Spitz, J., Szelc, A. M., Wu, W., Yang, T., and The ArgoNeuT Collaboration. Wed . "First Constraints on Heavy QCD Axions with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Using the ArgoNeuT Experiment". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.221802.
@article{osti_1975868,
title = {First Constraints on Heavy QCD Axions with a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Using the ArgoNeuT Experiment},
author = {Acciarri, R. and Adams, C. and Baller, B. and Basque, V. and Cavanna, F. and Co, R. T. and Fitzpatrick, R. S. and Fleming, B. and Green, P. and Harnik, R. and Kelly, K. J. and Kumar, S. and Lang, K. and Lepetic, I. and Liu, Z. and Luo, X. and Lyu, K. F. and Palamara, O. and Scanavini, G. and Soderberg, M. and Spitz, J. and Szelc, A. M. and Wu, W. and Yang, T. and The ArgoNeuT Collaboration},
abstractNote = {We present the results of a search for heavy QCD axions performed by the ArgoNeuT experiment at Fermilab. We search for heavy axions produced in the NuMI neutrino beam target and absorber decaying into dimuon pairs, which can be identified using the unique capabilities of ArgoNeuT and the MINOS near detector. This decay channel is motivated by a broad class of heavy QCD axion models that address the strong CP and axion quality problems with axion masses above the dimuon threshold. We obtain new constraints at a 95% confidence level for heavy axions in the previously unexplored mass range of 0.2–0.9 GeV, for axion decay constants around tens of TeV.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.221802},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 22,
volume = 130,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 31 00:00:00 EDT 2023},
month = {Wed May 31 00:00:00 EDT 2023}
}

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