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Title: New CAST limit on the axion–photon interaction

Abstract

Hypothetical low-mass particles, such as axions, provide a compelling explanation for the dark matter in the universe. Such particles are expected to emerge abundantly from the hot interior of stars. To test this prediction, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) uses a 9 T refurbished Large Hadron Collider test magnet directed towards the Sun. In the strong magnetic field, solar axions can be converted to X-ray photons which can be recorded by X-ray detectors. In the 2013–2015 run, thanks to low-background detectors and a new X-ray telescope, the signal-to-noise ratio was increased by about a factor of three. Here, we report the best limit on the axion–photon coupling strength (0.66 × 10-10 GeV-1 at 95% confidence level) set by CAST, which now reaches similar levels to the most restrictive astrophysical bounds.

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
Contributing Org.:
CAST Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1399719
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-727500
Journal ID: ISSN 1745-2473; TRN: US1703212
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1745-2473
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group (NPG)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Citation Formats

Anastassopoulos, V., Aune, S., Barth, K., Belov, A., Bräuninger, H., Cantatore, G., Carmona, J. M., Castel, J. F., Cetin, S. A., Christensen, F., Collar, J. I., Dafni, T., Davenport, M., Decker, T. A., Dermenev, A., Desch, K., Eleftheriadis, C., Fanourakis, G., Ferrer-Ribas, E., Fischer, H., García, J. A., Gardikiotis, A., Garza, J. G., Gazis, E. N., Geralis, T., Giomataris, I., Gninenko, S., Hailey, C. J., Hasinoff, M. D., Hoffmann, D. H. H., Iguaz, F. J., Irastorza, I. G., Jakobsen, A., Jacoby, J., Jakovčić, K., Kaminski, J., Karuza, M., Kralj, N., Krčmar, M., Kostoglou, S., Krieger, Ch., Lakić, B., Laurent, J.  M., Liolios, A., Ljubičić, A., Luzón, G., Maroudas, M., Miceli, L., Neff, S., Ortega, I., Papaevangelou, T., Paraschou, K., Pivovaroff, M. J., Raffelt, G., Rosu, M., Ruz, J., Chóliz, E. Ruiz, Savvidis, I., Schmidt, S., Semertzidis, Y.  K., Solanki, S. K., Stewart, L., Vafeiadis, T., Vogel, J. K., Yildiz, S. C., and Zioutas, K. New CAST limit on the axion–photon interaction. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1038/nphys4109.
Anastassopoulos, V., Aune, S., Barth, K., Belov, A., Bräuninger, H., Cantatore, G., Carmona, J. M., Castel, J. F., Cetin, S. A., Christensen, F., Collar, J. I., Dafni, T., Davenport, M., Decker, T. A., Dermenev, A., Desch, K., Eleftheriadis, C., Fanourakis, G., Ferrer-Ribas, E., Fischer, H., García, J. A., Gardikiotis, A., Garza, J. G., Gazis, E. N., Geralis, T., Giomataris, I., Gninenko, S., Hailey, C. J., Hasinoff, M. D., Hoffmann, D. H. H., Iguaz, F. J., Irastorza, I. G., Jakobsen, A., Jacoby, J., Jakovčić, K., Kaminski, J., Karuza, M., Kralj, N., Krčmar, M., Kostoglou, S., Krieger, Ch., Lakić, B., Laurent, J.  M., Liolios, A., Ljubičić, A., Luzón, G., Maroudas, M., Miceli, L., Neff, S., Ortega, I., Papaevangelou, T., Paraschou, K., Pivovaroff, M. J., Raffelt, G., Rosu, M., Ruz, J., Chóliz, E. Ruiz, Savvidis, I., Schmidt, S., Semertzidis, Y.  K., Solanki, S. K., Stewart, L., Vafeiadis, T., Vogel, J. K., Yildiz, S. C., & Zioutas, K. New CAST limit on the axion–photon interaction. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys4109
Anastassopoulos, V., Aune, S., Barth, K., Belov, A., Bräuninger, H., Cantatore, G., Carmona, J. M., Castel, J. F., Cetin, S. A., Christensen, F., Collar, J. I., Dafni, T., Davenport, M., Decker, T. A., Dermenev, A., Desch, K., Eleftheriadis, C., Fanourakis, G., Ferrer-Ribas, E., Fischer, H., García, J. A., Gardikiotis, A., Garza, J. G., Gazis, E. N., Geralis, T., Giomataris, I., Gninenko, S., Hailey, C. J., Hasinoff, M. D., Hoffmann, D. H. H., Iguaz, F. J., Irastorza, I. G., Jakobsen, A., Jacoby, J., Jakovčić, K., Kaminski, J., Karuza, M., Kralj, N., Krčmar, M., Kostoglou, S., Krieger, Ch., Lakić, B., Laurent, J.  M., Liolios, A., Ljubičić, A., Luzón, G., Maroudas, M., Miceli, L., Neff, S., Ortega, I., Papaevangelou, T., Paraschou, K., Pivovaroff, M. J., Raffelt, G., Rosu, M., Ruz, J., Chóliz, E. Ruiz, Savvidis, I., Schmidt, S., Semertzidis, Y.  K., Solanki, S. K., Stewart, L., Vafeiadis, T., Vogel, J. K., Yildiz, S. C., and Zioutas, K. Mon . "New CAST limit on the axion–photon interaction". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys4109. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1399719.
@article{osti_1399719,
title = {New CAST limit on the axion–photon interaction},
author = {Anastassopoulos, V. and Aune, S. and Barth, K. and Belov, A. and Bräuninger, H. and Cantatore, G. and Carmona, J. M. and Castel, J. F. and Cetin, S. A. and Christensen, F. and Collar, J. I. and Dafni, T. and Davenport, M. and Decker, T. A. and Dermenev, A. and Desch, K. and Eleftheriadis, C. and Fanourakis, G. and Ferrer-Ribas, E. and Fischer, H. and García, J. A. and Gardikiotis, A. and Garza, J. G. and Gazis, E. N. and Geralis, T. and Giomataris, I. and Gninenko, S. and Hailey, C. J. and Hasinoff, M. D. and Hoffmann, D. H. H. and Iguaz, F. J. and Irastorza, I. G. and Jakobsen, A. and Jacoby, J. and Jakovčić, K. and Kaminski, J. and Karuza, M. and Kralj, N. and Krčmar, M. and Kostoglou, S. and Krieger, Ch. and Lakić, B. and Laurent, J.  M. and Liolios, A. and Ljubičić, A. and Luzón, G. and Maroudas, M. and Miceli, L. and Neff, S. and Ortega, I. and Papaevangelou, T. and Paraschou, K. and Pivovaroff, M. J. and Raffelt, G. and Rosu, M. and Ruz, J. and Chóliz, E. Ruiz and Savvidis, I. and Schmidt, S. and Semertzidis, Y.  K. and Solanki, S. K. and Stewart, L. and Vafeiadis, T. and Vogel, J. K. and Yildiz, S. C. and Zioutas, K.},
abstractNote = {Hypothetical low-mass particles, such as axions, provide a compelling explanation for the dark matter in the universe. Such particles are expected to emerge abundantly from the hot interior of stars. To test this prediction, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) uses a 9 T refurbished Large Hadron Collider test magnet directed towards the Sun. In the strong magnetic field, solar axions can be converted to X-ray photons which can be recorded by X-ray detectors. In the 2013–2015 run, thanks to low-background detectors and a new X-ray telescope, the signal-to-noise ratio was increased by about a factor of three. Here, we report the best limit on the axion–photon coupling strength (0.66 × 10-10 GeV-1 at 95% confidence level) set by CAST, which now reaches similar levels to the most restrictive astrophysical bounds.},
doi = {10.1038/nphys4109},
journal = {Nature Physics},
number = 6,
volume = 13,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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