Galaxies 2018, 6(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies6020045
Searching for Axion-Like Particles with X-ray Polarimeters
Francesca Day 1,†,*
and Sven Krippendorf 2,†,*
and Sven Krippendorf 2,†,*
1
Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
2
Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
â€
These authors contributed equally to this work.
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 31 January 2018 / Revised: 3 April 2018 / Accepted: 4 April 2018 / Published: 10 April 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Bright Future of Astronomical X-ray Polarimetry)
Abstract
X-ray telescopes are an exceptional tool for searching for new fundamental physics. In particular, X-ray observations have already placed world-leading bounds on the interaction between photons and axion-like particles (ALPs). ALPs are hypothetical new ultra-light particles motivated by string theory models. They can also act as dark matter and dark energy, and provide a solution to the strong CP problem. In a background magnetic field, ALPs and photons may interconvert. This leads to energy dependent modulations in both the flux and polarisation of the spectra of point sources shining through large magnetic fields. The next generation of polarising X-ray telescopes will offer new detection possibilities for ALPs. Here we present techniques and projected bounds for searching for ALPs with X-ray polarimetry. We demonstrate that upcoming X-ray polarimetry missions have the potential to place world-leading bounds on ALPs. View Full-Text
Figure 1
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
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Day, F.; Krippendorf, S. Searching for Axion-Like Particles with X-ray Polarimeters. Galaxies 2018, 6, 45.
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