Abstract
The interaction of standard model's particles with the axionic Dark Matter field may generate oscillating nuclear electric dipole moments (EDMs), oscillating nuclear Schiff moments and oscillating nuclear magnetic quadrupole moments (MQMs) with a frequency corresponding to the axion's Compton frequency. Within an atom or a molecule an oscillating EDM, Schiff moment or MQM can drive transitions between atomic or molecular states. The excitation events can be detected, for example, via subsequent fluorescence or photoionization. Here we calculate the rates of such transitions. If the nucleus has octupole deformation or quadrupole deformation then the transition rate due to Schiff moment and MQM can be up to $10^{-16}$ transition per molecule per year. In addition, an MQM-induced transition may be of M2-type, which is useful for the elimination of background noise since M2-type transitions are suppressed for photons.
Highlights
The nature of dark matter (DM) remains unknown
II, we provide a brief revision of the nuclear electric dipole moments (EDMs), nuclear Schiff moment, nuclear magnetic quadrupole moments (MQMs), as well as how these moments might be produced by an oscillating axion DM field
We presented the possibility of searching for axionic dark matter by means of atomic and molecular transitions induced by oscillating nuclear EDMs, nuclear Schiff moments, and nuclear MQMs
Summary
The nature of dark matter (DM) remains unknown. The axion is a prominent dark matter candidate originally introduced in the 1970s to explain the apparent chargeparity (CP) symmetry of the strong interactions [1,2,3,4]. The interaction of SM particles with this oscillating axion field induces oscillating electric dipole moments (EDMs), oscillating Schiff moments, and oscillating magnetic quadrupole moments (MQMs) of fundamental particles, nuclei, atoms, and molecules [71,74]. These resulting moments cause the precession of the particle’s spins due to gradients in the axion field (the axion-wind effect) [76] and may in principle, be detected. The CASPEr experiments [72] search for spin precession due to the oscillating nuclear Schiff moment, which is related to the nucleon EDMs and axion-induced P; T-odd nuclear forces, and axion wind with nuclear magnetic resonance.
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