A Photon Regeneration Experiment for Axion Search using X-rays

Rémy Battesti (1) , Mathilde Hugbart (1) , C. Detlefs (2) , T. Roth (2) , Paul Berceau (1) , F. Duc (1) , P. Frings (1, 3) , Rikken G.L.J.A. (1, 3) , Carlo Rizzo (1)

1 LNCMI-T - Laboratoire national des champs magnétiques intenses - Toulouse
2 ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
3 LNCMP - Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Pulsés

In this letter we describe our novel photon regeneration experiment using a x-ray beam with a photon energy of 50:2 keV and 90:7 keV, two superconducting magnets of 3T over a length of 150 and 97 mm, and a Ge detector with a high quantum efficiency. A counting rate of regenerated photons compatible with zero has been measured. The corresponding limits on the axion-two photons coupling constant is presented as a function of the axion mass. Our setup widens the energy window of purely terrestrial experiments devoted to axion search by coupling with two photons. It opens a new domain of experimental investigation of photon propagation in magnetic fields.

Domaines: Physique des Hautes Energies - Expérience [hep-ex]; Physique des Hautes Energies - Phénoménologie [hep-ph]

Rémy Battesti, Mathilde Hugbart, C. Detlefs, T. Roth, Paul Berceau, et al.. A Photon Regeneration Experiment for Axion Search using X-rays. 2010. ⟨hal-00509807v1⟩