Conceptual Design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)

Armengaud, E.; Avignone, F.T.; Betz, M.; Brax, P.; Brun, P.; Cantatore, G.; Carmona, J.M.; Carosi, G.P.; Caspers, F.; Caspi, S.

doi:10.1088/1748-0221/9/05/T05002

Conceptual Design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)

Jan 14, 2014

47 pages

Published in:

JINST 9 (2014) T05002

Published: May 12, 2014

e-Print:

1401.3233 [physics.ins-det]

DOI:

10.1088/1748-0221/9/05/T05002

Report number:

FERMILAB-PUB-14-476-A,
BNL-106253-2014-JA

Experiments:

IAXO

View in:

pdf

reference search378 citations

Citations per year

Abstract: (IOP)

The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) will be a forthgeneration axion helioscope. As its primary physics goal, IAXO willlook for axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) originating in theSun via the Primakoff conversion of the solar plasma photons. Interms of signal-to-noise ratio, IAXO will be about 4–5 orders ofmagnitude more sensitive than CAST, currently the most powerfulaxion helioscope, reaching sensitivity to axion-photon couplingsdown to a few × 10−12 GeV−1 and thus probing a largefraction of the currently unexplored axion and ALP parameterspace. IAXO will also be sensitive to solar axions produced bymechanisms mediated by the axion-electron coupling gae withsensitivity — for the first time — to values of gae notpreviously excluded by astrophysics. With several other possiblephysics cases, IAXO has the potential to serve as a multi-purposefacility for generic axion and ALP research in the next decade. Inthis paper we present the conceptual design of IAXO, which followsthe layout of an enhanced axion helioscope, based on a purpose-built20 m-long 8-coils toroidal superconducting magnet. All the eight60cm-diameter magnet bores are equipped with focusing x-ray optics,able to focus the signal photons into ~ 0.2 cm2 spots thatare imaged by ultra-low-background Micromegas x-ray detectors. Themagnet is built into a structure with elevation and azimuth drivesthat will allow for solar tracking for ~ 12 h each day.

Note:

47 pages, submitted to JINST

activity report
axion: solar
magnet: superconductivity
axion
observatory
sensitivity
axion-like particles
solar
Micromegas
X-ray: optics

References(84)

Figures(30)

[1]

A New Light Boson?

Steven Weinberg
(
- Harvard U.
)

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 40 (1978) 223-226,
- Also in *Mohapatra, R. N. (ed.), Lai, C. H. (ed.): Gauge Theories Of Fundamental Interactions*, 396-399
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.40.223

[2]

Problem of Strong $P$ and $T$ Invariance in the Presence of Instantons

Frank Wilczek
(
- Columbia U. and
- Princeton, Inst. Advanced Study
)

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 40 (1978) 279-282,
- Also in *Mohapatra, R. N. (ed.), Lai, C. H. (ed.): Gauge Theories Of Fundamental Interactions*, 400-403
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.40.279

[3]

CP Conservation in the Presence of Instantons

R.D. Peccei
(
- Stanford U., ITP
)
,
Helen R. Quinn
(
- Stanford U., ITP
)

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 38 (1977) 1440-1443,
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.38.1440

[4]

Constraints Imposed by CP Conservation in the Presence of Instantons

R.D. Peccei
(
- Stanford U., ITP
)
,
Helen R. Quinn
(
- Stanford U., ITP
)

- Phys.Rev.D 16 (1977) 1791-1797,
- Also in *Mohapatra, R. N. (ed.), Lai, C. H. (ed.): Gauge Theories Of Fundamental Interactions*, 389-395, and in *Froggatt, C.D., Nielsen, H.B.: Origin of symmetries* 260-266
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevD.16.1791