We propose a new search for Axion-Like Particles (ALPs), targeting Vector Boson Scattering (VBS) processes at the LHC. We consider nonresonant ALP-mediated VBS, where the ALP participates as an off-shell mediator. This process occurs whenever the ALP is too light to be produced resonantly, and it takes advantage of the derivative nature of ALP interactions with the electroweak Standard Model bosons. We study the production of $ZZ$, $Zγ$, $W^\pm γ$, $W^\pm Z$ and $W^\pm W^\pm$ pairs with large diboson invariant masses in association with two jets. Working in a gauge-invariant framework, upper limits on ALP couplings to electroweak bosons are obtained from a reinterpretation of Run 2 public CMS VBS analyses. The constraints inferred on ALP couplings to $ZZ$, $Zγ$ and $W^\pm W^\pm$ pairs are very competitive for ALP masses up to 100 GeV. They have the advantage of being independent of the ALP coupling to gluons and of the ALP decay width. Simple projections for LHC Run 3 and HL-LHC are also calculated, demonstrating the power of future dedicated analyses at ATLAS and CMS.
We consider the complete leading-order -- dimension five -- effective linear Lagrangian for ALPs. The full set of one-loop contributions to ALP-SM effective couplings are derived, including all finite corrections. A few phenomenological consequences of these computations are also explored as illustration, with flavour diagonal channels in the case of fermions: in particular, we explore one-loop constraints on the coupling of the ALP to top quarks. Additionally, we propose a new search for ALPs, targeting VBS processes at the LHC. For this, we consider the tree-level diboson production in VBS, …
In the fermion content and gauge symmetry of the standard model (SM), we study the four-fermion operators in the torsion-free Einstein-Cartan theory. The collider signatures of irrelevant operators are suppressed by the high-energy cutoff (torsion-field mass) $Λ$, and cannot be experimentally accessible at TeV scales. Whereas the dynamics of relevant operators accounts for (i) the SM symmetry-breaking in the domain of infrared-stable fixed point with the energy scale $v\approx 239.5$ GeV and (ii) composite Dirac particles restoring the SM symmetry in the domain of ultraviolet-stable fixed poin…
Heavy QCD axions are well-motivated extensions of the QCD axion that address the quality problem while still solving the strong CP problem. Owing to the gluon coupling, critical for solving the strong CP problem, these axions can be produced in significant numbers in beam dump and collider environments for axion decay constants as large as PeV, relevant for addressing the axion quality problem. In addition, if these axions have leptonic couplings, they can give rise to long-lived decay into lepton pairs, in particular, dominantly into muons above the dimuon threshold and below the GeV scale in…
We assess the impact of searches at flavor factories for new neutral resonances that couple to both photons and gluons. These are well motivated by "heavy axion" solutions of the strong CP problem and by frameworks addressing both Dark Matter and the Higgs hierarchy problem. We use LHCb public diphoton data around the Bs mass to derive the current best limit on these resonances for masses between 4.9 and 6.3 GeV. We estimate that a future LHCb dedicated search would test an axion decay constant of O(TeV) for axion masses in the few-to-tens of GeV, being fully complementary to the low mass ATLA…
The axion solution of the strong CP problem provides a number of possible windows to physics beyond the standard model, notably in the form of searches for solar axions and for galactic axion dark matter, but in a broader context also inspires searches for axion-like particles in pure laboratory experiments. We briefly review the motivation for axions, astrophysical limits, their possible cosmological role, and current searches for axions and axion-like particles.
We propose an experimental setup to search for Axion-like particles (ALPs) using two superconducting radio-frequency cavities. In this light-shining-through-wall setup the axion is sourced by two modes with large fields and nonzero $\vec E\cdot \vec B$ in an emitter cavity. In a nearby identical cavity only one of these modes, the spectator, is populated while the other is a quiet signal mode. Axions can up-convert off the spectator mode into signal photons. We discuss the physics reach of this setup finding potential to explore new ALP parameter space. Enhanced sensitivity can be achieved if …
We propose new searches for axion-like particles (ALPs) produced in flavor-changing neutral current (FCNC) processes. This proposal exploits the often-overlooked coupling of ALPs to W bosons, leading to FCNC production of ALPs even in the absence of a direct coupling to fermions. Our proposed searches for resonant ALP production in decays such as $B\rightarrow K^{(*)}a,\,a\rightarrow γγ$ and $K\rightarrow πa, \,a\rightarrow γγ$ could greatly improve upon the current sensitivity to ALP couplings to Standard Model particles. We also determine analogous constraints and discovery prospects for inv…
Light axion-like particles occur in many theories of beyond-Standard-Model physics, and may make up some or all of the universe's dark matter. One of the ways they can couple to the Standard Model is through the electromagnetic $F_{μν} \tilde F^{μν}$ portal, and there is a broad experimental program, covering many decades in mass range, aiming to search for axion dark matter via this coupling. In this paper, we derive limits on the absorbed power, and coupling sensitivity, for a broad class of such searches. We find that standard techniques, such as resonant cavities and dielectric haloscopes,…
We propose a new collider probe for axion-like particles (ALPs), and more generally for pseudo-Goldstone bosons: non-resonant searches which take advantage of the derivative nature of their interactions with Standard Model particles. ALPs can participate as off-shell mediators in the $s$-channel of $2 \to 2$ scattering processes at colliders like the LHC. We exemplify the power of this novel type of search by deriving new limits on ALP couplings to gauge bosons via the processes $p p \to Z Z$, $p p \to γγ$ and $p p \to j j$ using Run 2 CMS public data, probing previously unexplored areas of th…
Resonant feedback circuits are proposed as an alternative to normal modes of conducting wall cavities or lumped circuits in searches for hidden sector particles. The proposed method offers several potential advantages over the most sensitive axion searches to date, that employ cavity resonators, including coverage of a wider range of axion masses, the ability to probe many axion masses simultaneously, and the elimination of experimentally troublesome mechanical tuning rod mechanisms. After an outline of the proposed method, we present a noise budget for a straw-man experiment configuration. We…
The search at hadron colliders for new massive resonances of a few 100 GeVs that couple effectively to colored states is an extremely challenging issue, due principally to the presence of large QCD multijet backgrounds at this energy, rendering the searches at the LHC particularly difficult. Recently, it was realized that these large backgrounds could be overcome by demanding one high-$p_T$ jet from initial-state radiation (ISR) and by means of novel jet-reconstruction techniques through which the resulting hadronized products of the massive resonances are reconstructed as a fat-jet, a unique …
Axion-like particles (ALPs) interacting with the Standard Model can be abundantly produced in proton beam fixed-target experiments. Looking for their displaced decays is therefore an effective search strategy for ALPs with a mass in the MeV to GeV range. Focusing on the benchmark models where the ALP interacts dominantly with photons or gluons, we show that the proposed DarkQuest experiment at Fermilab will be able to test parameter space which has been previously inaccessible. We pay particular attention to the self-consistency of gluon-coupled ALP production and decay calculations, which has…
For low-mass (frequency $\ll$ GHz) axions, dark matter detection experiments searching for an axion-photon-photon coupling generally have suppressed sensitivity, if they use a static background magnetic field. This geometric suppression can be alleviated by using a high-frequency oscillating background field. Here, we present a high-level sketch of such an experiment, using superconducting cavities at $\sim$ GHz frequencies. We discuss the physical limits on signal power arising from cavity properties, and point out cavity geometries that could circumvent some of these limitations. We also con…
Axions and other very weakly interacting slim particles (WISPs) may be non-thermally produced in the early universe and survive as constituents of the dark universe. We describe their theoretical motivation and their phenomenology. A huge region in parameter space spanned by their couplings to photons and their masses can give rise to the observed cold dark matter abundance. A wide range of experiments - direct dark matter searches exploiting microwave cavities, searches for solar axions or WISPs, and light-shining-through-a-wall searches - can probe large parts of this parameter space in the …
The Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems center is developing searches for dark photons, axions and ALPs with the goal of improving upon the current state-of-the-art sensitivity. These efforts leverage on Fermi National Accelerator expertise on ultra-high quality factor superconducting radio frequency cavities combined with the center research on quantum technology. Here we focus on multiple axion searches that utilize ~1E10 quality factor superconducting radio frequency cavities and their resonant modes to enhance the production and/or detection of axions in the cavity volume. In add…
The strong CP problem and its resolution through the existence of an axion are briefly reviewed. The constraints on the axion from accelerator searches, from the evolution of red giants and from supernova SN1987a combine to require $m_a < 3 \cdot 10^{-3}$ eV, where $m_a$ is the axion mass. On the other hand, the constraint that axions do not overclose the universe implies $m_a \gtwid 10^{-6}$ eV. If $m_a \sim 10^{-5}$ eV, axions contribute significantly to the cosmological energy density in the form of cold dark matter. Dark matter axions can be detected by resonant conversion to microwave pho…
In some axion dark matter models a dominant fraction of axions resides in dense small-scale substructures, axion miniclusters. A fraction of these substructures is disrupted and forms tidal streams where the axion density may still be an order of magnitude larger than the average. We discuss implications of these streams for the direct axion searches. We estimate the fraction of disrupted miniclusters and the parameters of the resulting streams, and find that stream-crossing events would occur at a rate of about $1/(20 {\rm yr})$ for 2-3 days, during which the signal in axion detectors would b…
Experimental searches for Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) which couple to the electroweak bosons span over a wide range of ALP masses, from MeV searches at beam-dump experiments, to TeV searches at the LHC. Here we examine an interesting range of parameter space in which the ALP couples only to hypercharge. In the GeV to hundreds of GeV mass range, the contribution of an ALP to light by light scattering can be significant. By making simple kinematic cuts, we show that the ILC running at $\sqrt{s} = 250\,\rm{GeV}$ or $\sqrt{s} = 500\,\rm{GeV}$ can discover ALPs in this range of masses with signific…
Direct-detection searches for axions and hidden photons are playing an increasingly prominent role in the search for dark matter. In this work, we derive the properties of optimal electromagnetic searches for these candidates, subject to the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) on amplification. We show that a single-pole resonant search may possess substantial sensitivity outside of the resonator bandwidth and that optimizing this sensitivity may increase scan rates by up to five orders of magnitude at low frequencies. Additional enhancements can be obtained with resonator quality factors exceeding o…
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 inver…
We applied an effective approximation into Maxwell's equations with an axion interaction for haloscope searches. A set of Maxwell's equations acquired from this approximation describes just the reacted fields generated by the anomalous interaction. Unlike other approaches, this set of Maxwell's equations inherently satisfies the boundary conditions for haloscope searches. The electromagnetic field solutions from the Maxwell's equations were evaluated for both cylindrical and toroidal cavity geometries including when the axion mass becomes ultra-light (sub-meV). A small but non-zero difference …
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) experiment searches for solar axions by the "helioscope" method. First results imply an upper limit on the axion-photon coupling of g_a-gamma < 1.16 x 10^-10 GeV^-1 (95% CL) for m_a < 0.02 eV, in this mass range superseding the previous energy-loss limit from globular cluster stars. By virtue of a variable-pressure helium filling of the magnetic transition region, CAST II will extend the sensitivity to axion masses up to about 1 eV, for the first time testing realistic axion parameters in a laboratory experiment. In this mass range axions would contribute …
Bridging the divide: axion searches and axino phenomenology at colliders
University of Chicago（芝加哥大学）；Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago（恩里科·费米研究所，芝加哥大学）；Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago（卡弗里宇宙物理学研究所，芝加哥大学）；Leinweber Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Chicago（莱因韦伯理论物理研究所，芝加哥大学）；Kavli Institute for Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (WPI)（宇宙物理与数学卡弗里研究所（WPI））；The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study（东京大学高等研究院）；The University of Tokyo（东京大学）
We propose, design and construct a variant of the conventional axion haloscope concept that could be competitive in the search for dark matter axions of masses in the decade 10-100 $μ$eV. Theses masses are located somewhat above the mass range in which existing experiments have reached sensitivity to benchmark QCD axion models. Our haloscope consists of an array of small microwave cavities connected by rectangular irises, in an arrangement commonly used in radio-frequency filters. The size of the unit cavity determines the main resonant frequency, while the possibility to connect a {large} num…
A search for axioelectric absorption of 5.5 MeV solar axions produced in the $p + d \rightarrow {^3\rm{He}}+γ~(5.5~ \rm{MeV})$ reaction has been performed with a BGO detectors. A model-independent limit on the product of axion-nucleon $g_{AN}^3$ and axion-electron $g_{Ae}$ coupling constants has been obtained: $| g_{Ae}\times g_{AN}^3|< 1.9\times 10^{-10}$ for 90\% C.L..
In the present work we study possible time dependent effects in Axion Dark Matter searches employing resonant cavities. We find that the width of the resonance, which depends on the axion mean square velocity in the local frame, will show an annual variation due to the motion of the Earth around the sun (modulation). Furthermore, if the experiments become directional, employing suitable resonant cavities, one expects large asymmetries in the observed widths relative to the sun's direction of motion. Due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis, these asymmetries will manifest themselves as…
Four decades after its prediction, the axion remains the most compelling solution to the Strong-CP problem and a well-motivated dark matter candidate, inspiring a host of elegant and ultrasensitive experiments based on axion-photon mixing. This report reviews the experimental situation on several fronts. The microwave cavity experiment is making excellent progress in the search for dark matter axions in the microelectronvolt range and may be plausibly extended up to 100 mu eV. Within the past several years however, it has been realized that axions are pervasive throughout string theories, but …
The PVLAS signal has led to the proposal of many experiments searching for light bosons coupled to photons. The coupling strength probed by these near future searches is, however, far from the allowed region, if astrophysical bounds apply. But the environmental conditions for the production of axion-like particles in stars are very different from those present in laboratories. We consider the case in which the coupling and the mass of an axion-like particle depend on environmental conditions such as the temperature and matter density. This can relax astrophysical bounds by several orders of ma…
We discuss searches for Axion-like Particles which are coupled predominantly to photons from proton- or electron beam-dumps. In particular, we scrutinize the present state of exclusions from SLAC 141 in the mass range of $\sim$ 10-30 MeV
The axion particle, a consequence of an elegant hypothesis that resolves the strong-CP problem of quantum chromodynamics, is a plausible origin for cosmological dark matter. In searches for axionic dark matter that detect the conversion of axions to microwave photons, the quantum noise associated with microwave vacuum fluctuations will soon limit the rate at which parameter space is searched. Here we show that this noise can be partially overcome either by squeezing the quantum vacuum using recently developed Josephson parametric devices, or by using superconducting qubits to count microwave p…
We propose a variation, based on very low energy and extremely intense photon sources, on the well established technique of Light-Shining-through-Wall (LSW) experiments for axion-like particle searches. With radiation sources at 30 GHz, we compute that present laboratory exclusion limits on axion-like particles might be improved by at least four orders of magnitude, for masses m_a <~ 0.01~meV. This could motivate research and development programs on dedicated single-photon sub-THz detectors.
While most searches for cosmic axions so far focused on their cold relics as (a component of) dark matter, various well-motivated cosmological sources can produce "boosted" axions that remain relativistic today. We demonstrate that existing/upcoming neutrino experiments such as Super-Kamiokande, Hyper-Kamiokande, DUNE, JUNO, and IceCube can probe such energetic axion relics. The characteristic signature is the mono-energetic single photon signal from axion absorption induced by the axion-photon coupling. This proposal offers to cover parameter ranges that are complementary to existing axion se…
Axionlike particles (ALPs) are a common prediction of theories beyond the Standard Model of particle physics that could explain the entirety of the cold dark matter. These particles could be detected through their mixing with photons in external electromagnetic fields. Here, we provide a short review over ALP searches that utilize astrophysical $γ$-ray observations. We summarize current bounds as well as future sensitivities and discuss the possibility that ALPs alter the $γ$-ray opacity of the Universe.
The realization and characterization of a high quality factor resonator composed of two hollow-dielectric cylinders with its pseudo-TM$_{030}$ mode resonating at 10.9 GHz frequency is discussed. The quality factor was measured at the temperatures 300 K and 4 K obtaining $\mbox{Q}_{300\mbox{K}}=(150,000\pm 2,000)$ and $\mbox{Q}_{4\mbox{K}}=(720,000\pm 10,000)$respectively, the latter corresponding to a gain of one order of magnitude with respect to a traditional copper cylindrical-cavity with the corresponding TM$_{010}$ mode resonating at the same frequency. The implications to dark-matter axi…
Experimental searches for axions or axion-like particles rely on semiclassical phenomena resulting from the postulated coupling of the axion to two photons. Sensitive probes of the extremely small coupling constant can be made by exploiting familiar, coherent electromagnetic laboratory techniques, including resonant enhancement of transitions using microwave and optical cavities, Bragg scattering, and coherent photon-axion oscillations. The axion beam may either be astrophysical in origin as in the case of dark matter axion searches and solar axion searches, or created in the laboratory from l…
The sensitivity of experimental searches for axion dark matter coupled to photons is typically proportional to the strength of the applied static magnetic field. We demonstrate how a permeable material can be used to enhance the magnitude of this static magnetic field, and therefore improve the sensitivity of such searches in the low frequency lumped-circuit limit. Using gadolinium iron garnet toroids at temperature 4.2 K results in a factor of 4 enhancement compared to an air-core toroidal design. The enhancement is limited by magnetic saturation. Correlation of signals from three such toroid…
A nuclear reactor is a powerful tool to study neutrinos and light dark sector particles. Some of the reactor experiments have proven to be extremely useful already. Considering the great interest in the power of intensity frontier to search for new light particles, it would be desirable to explore more possibilities to exploit the existing reactor power sources for particle physics research. We suggest a new reactor experiment searching for the dark sector. The dark photon can be produced in a reactor core and decay into a photon and an axion in the presence of the dark axion portal through an…
Reactor neutrino experiments provide a rich environment for the study of axionlike particles (ALPs). Using the intense photon flux produced in the nuclear reactor core, these experiments have the potential to probe ALPs with masses below 10 MeV. We explore the feasibility of these searches by considering ALPs produced through Primakoff and Compton-like processes as well as nuclear transitions. These particles can subsequently interact with the material of a nearby detector via inverse Primakoff and inverse Compton-like scatterings, via axio-electric absorption, or they can decay into photon or…
In the present work we study possible time dependent effects in Axion Dark Matter searches employing resonant cavities. We find that the width of the resonance, which depends on the axion mean square velocity in the local frame, will show an annual variation due to the motion of the Earth around the sun (modulation). Furthermore, if the experiments become directional, employing suitable resonant cavities, one expects large asymmetries in the observed widths relative to the sun's direction of motion. Due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis, these asymmetries will manifest themselves as…
The EDELWEISS experiment primarily aims at the direct detection of WIMPs using germanium bolometers. It is also sensitive to the low-energy electron recoils that would be induced by axions. We present new constraints on the couplings of axions using data from the EDELWEISS-II experiment. Using a total exposure of up to 448~kg.d, we searched for axion-induced electron recoils down to 2.5~keV within four scenarios involving different hypotheses on the origin and couplings of axions. We set a 95~\% CL limit on the coupling to photons $g_{Aγ}<2.15\times 10^{-9}$~GeV$^{-1}$ in a mass range not full…
We derive electric dipole moment (EDM) constraints on possible new macroscopic time reversal and parity violating (TVPV) spin-dependent forces. These constraints are compared to those derived from direct searches in fifth-force experiments and from combining laboratory searches with astrophysical bounds on stellar energy loss. For axion-mediated TVPV spin-dependent forces, EDM constraints dominate over fifth-force limits by several orders of magnitude. However, we show that for a generic light scalar, unrelated to the strong CP problem, present bounds from direct fifth- force searches are more…
