Solar Axions Research Articles

Investigating the XENON1T low-energy electronic recoil excess using NEST

The search for dark matter, the missing mass of the Universe, is one of the most active fields of study within particle physics. The XENON1T experiment recently observed a 3.5$\sigma$ excess potentially consistent with dark matter, or with solar axions. Here, we will use the Noble Element Simulation Technique (NEST) software to simulate the XENON1T detector, reproducing the excess. We utilize different detector efficiency and energy reconstruction models, but they primarily impact sub-keV energies and cannot explain the XENON1T excess. However, using NEST, we can reproduce their excess in multiple, unique ways, most easily via the addition of 31$\pm$11 $^{37}Ar$ decays. Furthermore, this results in new, modified background models, reducing the significance of the excess to $\le2.2\sigma$ at least using non-Profile Likelihood Ratio (PLR) methods. This is independent confirmation that the excess is a real effect, but potentially explicable by known physics. Many cross-checks of our $^{37}Ar$ hypothesis are presented.

A Search for Solar Axions and Anomalous Neutrino Magnetic Moment with the Complete PandaX-II Data* *Supported in part by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0400301), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11525522, 11775141, and 11755001), the Double First Class Plan of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No.

We report a search for new physics signals using the low energy electron recoil events in the complete data set from PandaX-II, in light of the recent event excess reported by XENON1T. The data correspond to a total exposure of 100.7 ton⋅day with liquid xenon. With robust estimates of the dominant background spectra, we perform sensitive searches on solar axions and neutrinos with enhanced magnetic moment. It is found that the axion-electron coupling g Ae < 4.6 × 10–12 for an axion mass less than 0.1 keV/c 2 and the neutrino magnetic moment μν < 4.9 × 10–11 μ B at 90 % confidence level. The observed excess from XENON1T is within our experimental constraints.

Impulsive radio events in quiet solar corona and axion quark nugget dark matter

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) recorded \cite{Mondal-2020} impulsive radio events in the quiet solar corona at frequencies 98, 120, 132, and 160 MHz. We propose that these radio events are the direct manifestation of dark matter annihilation events within the axion quark nugget (AQN) framework. It has been argued \cite{Zhitnitsky:2017rop,Raza:2018gpb} that the AQN annihilation events in the quiet solar corona can be identified with the nanoflares conjectured by Parker \cite{Parker-1983}. We further support this claim by demonstrating that observed impulsive radio events \cite{Mondal-2020}, including their rate of appearance, their temporal and spatial distributions and their energetics, are matching the generic consequences of AQN annihilations in the quiet corona. We propose to test this idea by analyzing the correlated clustering of impulsive radio events in different frequency bands. These correlations are expressed in terms of the time delays between radio events in different frequency bands, measured in seconds. We also make generic predictions for low (80 and 89 MHz) and high (179, 196, 217 and 240 MHz) frequency bands, that have been recorded, but not published, by \cite{Mondal-2020}. We finally suggest to test our proposal by studying possible cross-correlation between MWA radio signals and Solar Orbiter recording of extreme UV photons (a.k.a. "campfires").

The RGB tip of galactic globular clusters and the revision of the axion-electron coupling bound

Context. The production of neutrinos by plasma oscillations is the most important energy sink process operating in the degenerate core of low-mass red giant stars. This process counterbalances the release of energy induced by nuclear reactions and gravitational contraction, and determines the luminosity attained by a star at the moment of the He ignition. This occurrence coincides with the tip of the red giant branch (RGB), whose luminosity is extensively used as a calibrated standard candle in several cosmological studies. Aims. We aim to investigate the possible activation of additional energy sink mechanisms, as predicted by many extensions of the so-called Standard Model. In particular, our objective is to test the possible production of axions or axion-like particles, mainly through their coupling with electrons. Methods. By combining Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based optical and near-infrared photometric samples, we derived the RGB tip absolute magnitude of 22 galactic globular clusters (GGCs). The effects of varying the distance and the metallicity scales were also investigated. Then we compared the observed tip luminosities with those predicted by state-of-the-art stellar models that include the energy loss due to the axion production in the degenerate core of red giant stars. Results. We find that theoretical predictions including only the energy loss by plasma neutrinos are, in general, in good agreement with the observed tip bolometric magnitudes, even though the latter are ∼0.04 mag brighter on average. This small shift may be the result of systematic errors affecting the evaluation of the RGB tip bolometric magnitudes, or, alternatively, it could be ascribed to an axion-electron coupling causing a non-negligible thermal production of axions. In order to estimate the strength of this possible axion sink, we performed a cumulative likelihood analysis using the RGB tips of the whole set of 22 GGCs. All the possible sources of uncertainties affecting both the measured bolometric magnitudes and the corresponding theoretical predictions were carefully considered. As a result, we find that the value of the axion-electron coupling parameter that maximizes the likelihood probability is gae/10−13 ∼ 0.60−0.58+0.32. This hint is valid, however, if the dominant energy sinks operating in the core of red giant stars are standard neutrinos and axions coupled with electrons. Any additional energy-loss process, not included in the stellar models, would reduce such a hint. Nevertheless, we find that values gae/10−13 &gt; 1.48 can be excluded with 95% confidence. Conclusions. The new bound we find represents the most stringent constraint for the axion-electron coupling available so far. The new scenario that emerges after this work represents a greater challenge for future experimental axion searches. In particular, we can exclude that the recent signal seen by the XENON1T experiment was due to solar axions.

Cosmic imprints of XENON1T axions

The recent electron recoil excess observed by XENON1T has a possible interpretation in terms of solar axions coupled to electrons. If such axions are still relativistic at recombination they would also leave a cosmic imprint in the form of an additional radiation component, parameterized by an effective neutrino number Δ Neff. We explore minimal scenarios with a detectable signal in future CMB surveys: axions coupled democratically to all fermions, axion-electron coupling generated radiatively, the DFSZ framework for the QCD axion. The predicted Δ Neff is larger than 0.03–0.04 for all cases, close to the 2σ forecasted sensitivity of CMB-S4 experiments. This opens the possibility of testing with cosmological observations the solar axion interpretation of the XENON1T excess.

Supernova-scope for the direct search of Supernova axions

If a supernova explosion occurs within a few hundred parsecs from the Earth, a huge number of axions, in addition to neutrinos, may arrive at the Earth. In this paper, we discuss in detail the prospect of detecting those supernova axions by an axion helioscope. With the help of a pre-supernova neutrino alert system, it is possible to point a helioscope at an exploding supernova in advance. The supernova axions can then be detected by a gamma-ray detector installed at the end of the helioscope. We call such a detection system an axion supernova-scope (SNscope). We propose a conceptual design for an axion SNscope, where the gamma-ray detector is installed at the opposite end to the X-ray detector for the solar axion. It still functions as an axion helioscope during the normal operation time, and once a pre-SN neutrino alert is received, the scope is temporarily turned around and targeted to a SN candidate, waiting for the supernova axions. We estimate the sensitivity of supernova axion detection and find that SNscopes based on the next-generation axion helioscopes, such as IAXO, have potential to explore the invisible axions and to test the axion interpretation of stellar cooling anomalies.

DFSZ axion couplings revisited

Among many possibilities, solar axion has been proposed to explain the electronic recoil events excess observed by Xenon1T collaboration, although it has tension with astrophysical observations. The axion couplings, to photon gaγ and to electron gae play important roles. These couplings are related to the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) charges Xf for fermions. In most of the calculations, gaγ is obtained by normalizing to the ratio of electromagnetic anomaly factor E=TrXfQf2Nc (Nc is 3 and 1 for quarks and charged leptons respectively) and QCD anomaly factor N=TrXqT(q) (T(q) is quarks' SU(3)c index). The broken PQ symmetry generator is used in the calculation which does not seem to extract out the components of broken generator in the axion which are “eaten” by the Z boson. However, using the physical components of axion or the ratio of anomaly factors should obtain the same results in the DFSZ for gaγ. When going beyond the standard DFSZ models, such as variant DFSZ models, where more Higgs doublets and fermions have different PQ charges, one may wonder if the results are different. We show that the two methods obtain the same results as expected, but the axion couplings to quarks and leptons gaf (here f indicates one of the fermions in the SM) are more conveniently calculated in the physical axion basis. The result depends on the values of the vacuum expectation values leading to a wider parameter space for gaf in beyond the standard DFSZ axion. We also show explicitly how flavor conserving gaf couplings can be maintained when there are more than one Higgs doublets couple to the up and down fermion sectors in variant DFSZ models at tree level, and how flavor violating couplings can arise.

XENON1T solar axion and the Higgs boson emerging from the dark

In a recent letter we proposed a new non-thermal mechanism of Dark Matter production based on vacuum misalignment, where both the Higgs boson and a very light pseudo-scalar $\eta$ emerge from the Dark sector. In this letter, we identify the parameter space in a composite scenario where the light pseudo-scalar can be produced in the sun and explain the XENON1T excess in electron recoil data. The model's Dark Matter candidate has a mass around $50$ TeV and out of range for Direct Detection. Testable predictions include Gravitational waves at frequencies in the Hz range from a cosmological phase transition, an exotic decay $Z \to \gamma + \mbox{inv.}$ with rates $4 \div 16 \cdot 10^{-12}$ testable at a future Tera-Z collider, and an enhancement by $17\div 40$ % of the branching ratio $K_L \to \pi^0 + \mbox{inv.}$, not enough to explain the KOTO anomaly. All these predictions may be confirmed by future experiments.

Excess electronic recoil events in XENON1T

We report results from searches for new physics with low-energy electronic recoil data recorded with the XENON1T detector. With an exposure of 0.65 t-y and an unprecedentedly low background rate of $76\pm2$ events/(t y keV) between 1 and 30 keV, the data enables sensitive searches for solar axions, an enhanced neutrino magnetic moment, and bosonic dark matter. An excess over known backgrounds is observed at low energies and most prominent between 2 and 3 keV. The solar axion model has a 3.4$\sigma$ significance, and a 3D 90% confidence surface is reported for axion couplings to electrons, photons, and nucleons. This surface is inscribed in the cuboid defined by $g_{ae}<3.8 \times 10^{-12}$, $g_{ae}g_{an}^{eff}<4.8\times 10^{-18}$, and $g_{ae}g_{a\gamma}<7.7\times10^{-22} GeV^{-1}$, and excludes either $g_{ae}=0$ or $g_{ae}g_{a\gamma}=g_{ae}g_{an}^{eff}=0$. The neutrino magnetic moment signal is similarly favored over background at 3.2$\sigma$ and a confidence interval of $\mu_{\nu} \in (1.4,2.9)\times10^{-11}\mu_B$ (90% C.L.) is reported. Both results are in strong tension with stellar constraints. The excess can also be explained by $\beta$ decays of tritium at 3.2$\sigma$ with a trace amount that can neither be confirmed nor excluded with current knowledge of its production and reduction mechanisms. The significances of the solar axion and neutrino magnetic moment hypotheses are reduced to 2.0$\sigma$ and 0.9$\sigma$, respectively, if an unconstrained tritium component is included in the fitting. With respect to bosonic dark matter, the excess favors a monoenergetic peak at ($2.3\pm0.2$) keV (68% C.L.) with a 3.0$\sigma$ global (4.0$\sigma$ local) significance. We also consider the possibility that $^{37}$Ar may be present in the detector and yield a 2.82 keV peak. Contrary to tritium, the $^{37}$Ar concentration can be tightly constrained and is found to be negligible.

Reexamining the Solar Axion Explanation for the XENON1T Excess.

The XENON1T collaboration has observed an excess in electronic recoil events below 5keV over the known background, which could originate from beyond-the-standard-model physics. The solar axion is a well-motivated model that has been proposed to explain the excess, though it has tension with astrophysical observations. The axions traveling from the Sun can be absorbed by the electrons in the xenon atoms via the axion-electron coupling. Meanwhile, they can also scatter with the atoms through the inverse Primakoff process via the axion-photon coupling, which emits a photon and mimics the electronic recoil signals. We found that the latter process cannot be neglected. After including the keV photon produced via the inverse Primakoff process in the detection, the tension with the astrophysical constraints can be significantly reduced. We also explore scenarios involving additional new physics to further alleviate the tension with the astrophysical bounds.

Inverse Primakoff Scattering as a Probe of Solar Axions at Liquid Xenon Direct Detection Experiments.

We show that XENON1T and future liquid xenon (LXe) direct detection experiments are sensitive to axions through the standard g_{aγ}aFF[over ˜] operators due to inverse-Primakoff scattering. This previously neglected channel significantly improves the sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling, with a reach extending to g_{aγ}∼10^{-10} GeV^{-1} for axion masses up to a keV, thereby extending into the region of heavier QCD axion models. This result modifies the couplings required to explain the XENON1T excess in terms of solar axions, opening a large region of g_{aγ}-m_{a} parameter space that is not ruled out by the CAST helioscope experiment and reducing the tension with the astrophysical constraints. We explore the sensitivity to solar axions for future generations of LXe detectors that can exceed future helioscope experiments, such as IAXO, for a large region of parameter space.

Solar Axions Cannot Explain the XENON1T Excess.

We argue that the interpretation in terms of solar axions of the recent XENON1T excess is not tenable when confronted with astrophysical observations of stellar evolution. We discuss the reasons why the emission of a flux of solar axions sufficiently intense to explain the anomalous data would radically alter the distribution of certain type of stars in the color-magnitude diagram in the first place and would also clash with a certain number of other astrophysical observables. Quantitatively, the significance of the discrepancy ranges from 3.3σ for the rate of period change of pulsating white dwarfs and exceeds 19σ for the R parameter and for M_{I,TRGB}.

Axion helioscopes as solar magnetometers

Axion helioscopes search for solar axions and axion-like particles via inverse Primakoff conversion in strong laboratory magnets pointed at the Sun. Anticipating the detection of solar axions, we determine the potential for the planned next-generation helioscope, the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), to measure or constrain the solar magnetic field. To do this we consider a previously neglected component of the solar axion flux at sub-keV energies arising from the conversion of longitudinal plasmons. This flux is sensitively dependent to the magnetic field profile of the Sun, with lower energies corresponding to axions converting into photons at larger solar radii. If the detector technology eventually installed in IAXO has an energy resolution better than 200 eV, then solar axions could become an even more powerful messenger than neutrinos of the magnetic field in the core of the Sun. For energy resolutions better than 10 eV, IAXO could access the inner 70% of the Sun and begin to constrain the field at the tachocline: the boundary between the radiative and convective zones. The longitudinal plasmon flux from a toroidal magnetic field also has an additional 2% geometric modulation effect which could be used to measure the angular dependence of the magnetic field.

Lowering the Energy Threshold of the CUORE Experiment: Benefits in the Surface Alpha Events Reconstruction

CUORE is a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment located at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso that exploits bolometric technique to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of \(^{130}{\hbox {Te}}\). Thanks to its very low background and large mass, CUORE is also a powerful tool to study a broad class of phenomena, such as solar axions and WIMP scattering. The ability to conduct such sensitive searches crucially depends on the energy threshold, which has to be kept as low as possible. In this contribution, we show how the trigger algorithm affects the sensitivity to low-energy phenomena and the interpretation of the energy spectrum. In particular, we focus on the impact that the trigger algorithm has on the identification of the coincidence events among different crystals and, consequently, on the reconstruction of the background.

New limits on the resonant absorption of solar axions obtained with a ^mathbf {169}Tm-containing cryogenic detector

A search for resonant absorption of solar axions by ^{169}mathrm {Tm} nuclei was carried out. A newly developed approach involving low-background cryogenic bolometer based on mathrm {Tm}_{3} mathrm {Al}_{5} mathrm {O}_{12} crystal was used that allowed for significant improvement of sensitivity in comparison with previous ^{169}mathrm {Tm} based experiments. The measurements performed with 8.18 g crystal during 6.6 days exposure yielded the following limits on axion couplings: |g_{Agamma } (g_{AN}^0 + g_{AN}^3) le 1.44 times 10^{-14},{{mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}} and |g_{Ae} (g_{AN}^0 + g_{AN}^3) le 2.81 times 10^{-16}.

Design of the BabyIAXO Superconducting Detector Magnet

Searching for axion like particles is one of the top priorities in particle physics. Using helioscopes is a promising technology to detect solar axions. In order to ensure readiness of the technology required for the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), the state-of-the-art facility in the field, a smaller scale but fully functional 10 m long twin bore demonstrator called BabyIAXO is prepared for construction in the early 2020s. Similar to IAXO, the two magnet bores have to point to the sun and thus to rotate 360° horizontally and ±25° vertically. The 50 MJ detector magnet of BabyIAXO is based on a common-coil layout, comprising two flat racetrack coils of 10 m length spaced by 0.8 m. Using Al-stabilized Rutherford cable with 8 NbTi strands of 1.4 mm diameter, the system can operate at 9.8 kA nominal current with 2 K temperature margin, while producing 2.0 T in the center of detection bores and 3.2 T peak field. The magnet may operate in persistent mode by using a thermally activated switch made of NbTi/CuNi matrix wire. The current leads are “over-current” designed in order to reduce the associated heat load during charging and long idle periods at full current. Uniquely, a group of two 1-stage GM and three 2-stage pulse-tube (PT) cryocoolers is used for precooling and maintaining 4.5 K in the coils. Two cryocirculators are used to transfer efficiently the available cooling capacity among the cold mass, thermal shield and current leads. While using “dry” cooling conditions, this cryogenic setup ensures cooling down the 15 t cold mass in 18 days. The relevance of design, construction, and operational experience gained with BabyIAXO for a fully fletched IAXO system is discussed.

Improved limits on solar axions and bosonic dark matter from the CDEX-1B experiment using the profile likelihood ratio method

We present the improved constraints on couplings of solar axions and more generic bosonic dark matter particles using 737.1 kg-days of data from the CDEX-1B experiment. The CDEX-1B experiment, located at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory, primarily aims at the direct detection of weakly interacting massive particles using a p-type point-contact germanium detector. We adopt the profile likelihood ratio method for analysis of data in the presence of backgrounds. An energy threshold of 160 eV was achieved, much better than the 475 eV of CDEX-1A with an exposure of 335.6 kg-days. This significantly improves the sensitivity for the bosonic dark matter below 0.8 keV among germanium detectors. Limits are also placed on the coupling $g_{Ae} < 2.48 \times 10^{-11}$ from Compton, bremsstrahlung, atomic-recombination and de-excitation channels and $g^{eff}_{AN} \times g_{Ae} < 4.14 \times 10^{-17}$ from a $^{57}$Fe M1 transition at 90\% confidence level.

Search for decaying eV-mass axion-like particles using gamma-ray signal from blazars

Decaying axion-like particles (ALP) with masses in the eV range which might occupy dark matter halos of the Milky Way and other galaxies produce a characteristic “bump” feature in the spectrum of extragalactic background light (EBL). This feature leaves an imprint on the gamma-ray spectra of distant extragalactic sources. We derive constraints on the ALP coupling to photons based on analysis of spectra of very-high-energy gamma-ray loud blazars. We combine gamma-ray spectral measurements by Fermi/LAT and Cherenkov telescopes and fit a model in which the intrinsic source spectrum is modified by pair production on photons produced by ALP decays. We constrain the amplitude of gamma-ray flux suppression by this effect. We find that the combined Fermi/LAT and VERITAS data set for the source 1ES 1218+304 currently provides the tightest constraint on ALP-two-photon coupling which is complementary to the constraints imposed by non-observation of excess energy loss in Horizontal Branch stars, by the high-resolution spectroscopic observations of galaxy clusters with optical telescopes and by the searches of ALP signal with CERN Solar Axion Telescope. Our analysis favours existence of a bump in the EBL spectrum which could be produced by ALPs in the mass range 2–3 eV and axion-photon coupling ∼ 10−10 GeV−1. We discuss possibilities for verification of this hint with deeper Cherenkov telescope observations of large number of blazars with current generation instruments and with the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

DARWIN: direct dark matter search with the ultimate detector

DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN) is a future experiment for the direct detection of dark matter based on a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber. The main goal of DARWIN is to reach an unprecedented sensitivity to WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle)-nuclear recoil cross sections for a large WIMP mass range, down to the level where the irreducible background from neutrino interactions with the target is dominant. This ultra-low background experiment will also have competitive sensitivity to test other dark matter hypotheses such as dark photons and superWIMPs and to detect other rare events like solar neutrinos, neutrinoless double-beta decay of 136Xe, solar axions and neutrinos from galactic supernovae. In this paper we present the design of the DARWIN detector and the estimated WIMP sensitivity based on the expected backgrounds. Other rare event searches are also discussed.

A low energy rare event search with the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is sensitive to rare events near its energy threshold, including bosonic dark matter, solar axions, and lightly ionizing particles. In this analysis, a novel training set of low energy small-angle Compton scatter events is used to determine the efficiency of pulse shape analysis cuts, and we present updated bosonic dark matter and solar axion results from an 11.17 kg-y dataset using a 5 keV analysis threshold.