Eur. Phys. J. C (2007) 52: 899-904
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-007-0414-4

Regular Article - Experimental Physics

Searching for energetic cosmic axions in a laboratory experiment

¹ CERN, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
² Institute for Nuclear Research of RAS, 60th October Anniversary Prospect 7a, Moscow, 117312, Russia
³ Max-Planck-Institut für Physik (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut), Föhringer Ring 6, 80805, München, Germany
⁴ Pushkov Institute (IZMIRAN), Troitsk, 142190, Russia
⁵ Institut für Teilchenphysik, ETHZ, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

^* e-mail: malc@cern.ch

Received: 21 June 2007
Revised: 7 August 2007
Published online: 9 October 2007

Abstract

Astrophysical sources of energetic gamma rays provide the right conditions for maximal mixing between (pseudo)scalar (axion-like) particles and photons if their coupling is strong enough. This is independent of whether or not the axion interaction is standard at all energies or becomes suppressed in the extreme conditions of the stellar interior. The flux of such particles through the Earth could be observed using a metre long, Tesla strength superconducting solenoid. The rate of events in CAST caused by axions from the Crab pulsar is also estimated.