6533b7dcfe1ef96bd1271f9a
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Detecting the stimulated decay of axions at radio frequencies
Marco TaosoSamuel J. WitteAndrea CaputoMarco Regissubject
axionsPhotonAstrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical PhenomenaDark matterFOS: Physical sciencesAstrophysicsAstrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics01 natural sciencesRadio telescopeHigh Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)0103 physical sciencesStimulated emissionAxionGalaxy clusterAstrophysics::Galaxy AstrophysicsPhysicsdark matter detectorsdark matter theory010308 nuclear & particles physicsGalactic CenterAstronomy and AstrophysicsAstrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxiesdwarfs galaxiesGalaxy3. Good healthHigh Energy Physics - Phenomenologyaxions; dark matter detectors; dark matter theory; dwarfs galaxiesAstrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA)description
Assuming axion-like particles account for the entirety of the dark matter in the Universe, we study the possibility of detecting their decay into photons at radio frequencies. We discuss different astrophysical targets, such as dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the Galactic Center and halo, and galaxy clusters. The presence of an ambient radiation field leads to a stimulated enhancement of the decay rate; depending on the environment and the mass of the axion, the effect of stimulated emission may amplify the photon flux by serval orders of magnitude. For axion-photon couplings allowed by astrophysical and laboratory constraints(and possibly favored by stellar cooling), we find the signal to be within the reach of next-generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometer Array.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-20 | Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics |