New Constraints on Axionlike Particles with the NEON Detector at a Nuclear Reactor

Park, Byung Ju; Choi, Jae Jin; Jeon, Eunju; Kim, Jinyu; Kim, Kyungwon; Kim, Sung Hyun; Kim, Sun Kee; Kim, Yeongduk; Ko, Young Ju; Koh, Byoung-Cheol; Ha, Chang Hyon; Lee, Seo Hyun; Lee, In Soo; Lee, Hyunseok; Lee, Hyun Su; Lee, Jaison; Oh, Yoomin; Kim, Doojin; Krnjaic, Gordan; Nava, Jacopo

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.201002

Title: New Constraints on Axionlike Particles with the NEON Detector at a Nuclear Reactor

Journal Article · Tue May 20 00:00:00 UTC 2025 · Physical Review Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.201002 · OSTI ID:2567568

^[1]; Choi, Jae Jin ^[2];

^[3];

^[4];

^[5]; Kim, Sung Hyun ^[5]; Kim, Sun Kee ^[6]; Kim, Yeongduk ^[3];

^[5]; Koh, Byoung-Cheol ^[7];

^[7];

^[1]; Lee, In Soo ^[5]; Lee, Hyunseok ^[1];

^[3];

^[5];

^[8];

^[9];

^[10]

IBS School; University of Science and Technology (UST); Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Seoul National University; Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Institute for Basic Science (IBS); IBS School; University of Science and Technology (UST)
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)
Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
Seoul National University
Chung-Ang University
University of South Dakota; Texas A&M University
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; University of Chicago; University of Chicago
Università di Bologna; INFN

We report new constraints on axionlike particles (ALPs) using data from the NEON experiment, which features 16.7 kg of NaI(Tl) target located 23.7 m from a 2.8 GW thermal power nuclear reactor. Analyzing a total exposure of 3063 kg · day, with 1596 kg · day during reactor-on and 1467 kg · day during reactor-off periods, we compared energy spectra to search for ALP-induced signals. No significant signal was observed, enabling us to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level. These limits probe previously unexplored regions of the ALP parameter space, particularly for axion masses (m_𝑎) near 1 MeV/c². For ALP-photon coupling (𝑔_𝑎⁢𝛾), limits reach as low as 6.24×10⁻⁶ GeV⁻¹ at m_𝑎=3.0 MeV/c², while for ALP-electron coupling (𝑔_𝑎⁢𝑒), limits reach 4.95×10⁻⁸ at m_𝑎=1.02 MeV/c². This Letter demonstrates the potential for future reactor experiments to probe unexplored ALP parameter space.

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Research Organization:: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)

Contributing Organization:: NEON Collaboration

Grant/Contract Number:: 89243024CSC000002; AC02-07CH11359; SC0010813

OSTI ID:: 2567568

Report Number(s):: FERMILAB-PUB--24-0929-T; arXiv:2406.06117; oai:inspirehep.net:2796575

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 134; ISSN 1079-7114; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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