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New Directions for Axion Searches via Scattering at Reactor Neutrino Experiments
- Source :
- Physical Review Letters
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Searches for pseudoscalar axion-like-particles (ALPs) typically rely on their decay in beam dumps or their conversion into photons in haloscopes and helioscopes. We point out a new experimental direction for ALP probes through their production via the Primakoff process or Compton-like scattering off of electrons or nuclei. We consider ALPs produced by the intense gamma ray flux available from megawatt-scale nuclear reactors at neutrino experiments through Primakoff-like or Compton-like channels. Low-threshold detectors in close proximity to the core will have visibility to ALP decays and inverse Primakoff and Compton scattering, providing sensitivity to the ALP-photon and ALP-electron couplings. We find that the sensitivity to these couplings at the ongoing MINER neutrino experiment exceeds existing limits set by laboratory experiments and, for the ALP-electron coupling, we forecast the world's best laboratory-based constraints over a large portion of the sub-MeV ALP mass range.<br />6 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters. Figures have been updated since version 1
- Subjects :
- Physics
Coupling
Photon
Scattering
Physics::Instrumentation and Detectors
Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Compton scattering
Gamma ray
General Physics and Astronomy
FOS: Physical sciences
01 natural sciences
High Energy Physics - Experiment
Physics::Geophysics
Nuclear physics
Pseudoscalar
High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex)
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
0103 physical sciences
High Energy Physics::Experiment
Neutrino
010306 general physics
Axion
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 10797114
- Volume :
- 124
- Issue :
- 21
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Physical review letters
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8c87ea7b0e7069ddaf411485ff9f2317