Axion Mass Limits From Pulsar X-rays
Dec, 198420 pages
Published in:
- Phys.Rev.D 34 (1986) 843
Report number:
- LBL-18690
Citations per year
Abstract: (APS)
Axions thermally emitted by a neutron star would be converted into x rays in the strong magnetic field surrounding the star. The present observational limit of pulsed x rays from the Vela pulsar (PSR 0833-45) is not small enough to bound the axion mass. An increase in x-ray sensitivity by a factor of 104 would constrain the axion mass Ma<3×10−3 eV if the core is nonsuperfluid and at temperature Tc∼2×108 K. This would improve the limits Ma≲4×10−2 eV from neutron-star cooling and Ma<1×10−2 eV from red-giant evolution. If the core is superfluid throughout, a factor of 105 in sensitivity would be needed. A search for modulated hard x rays from PSR 1509-58 or other young pulsars is suggested. A limit on pulsed hard x rays <5×10−7 photons/cm2 sec from a very young hot (Tc∼7×108 K) pulsar within the Galaxy could set a firm bound on the axion mass, since neutron superfluidity is not expected above this temperature.- COSMOLOGICAL MODEL
- N: MATTER
- POSTULATED PARTICLE: AXION
- MASS: AXION
- AXION: MASS
- UPPER LIMIT
- PHOTON: COSMIC RADIATION
- INTERPRETATION OF EXPERIMENTS: NUMERICAL CALCULATIONS
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
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