Dimming of supernovae by photon pseudoscalar conversion and the intergalactic plasma
Dec, 2001
12 pages
Published in:
- Phys.Rev.D 66 (2002) 043517
e-Print:
- hep-ph/0112118 [hep-ph]
Report number:
- LPT-ORSAY-01-116,
- NYU-TH-01-12-01
View in:
Citations per year
Abstract:
Recently Csaki, Kaloper and Terning (hep-ph/0111311) suggested that the observed dimming of distant type Ia supernovae may be a consequence of mixing of the photons with very light axions. We point out that the effect of the plasma, in which the photons are propagating, must be taken into account. This effect changes the oscillation probability and renders the dimming frequency-dependent, contrary to observations. One may hope to accommodate the data by averaging the oscillations over many different coherence domains. We estimate the effect of coherence loss, either due to the inhomogeneities of the magnetic field or of the intergalactic plasma. These estimates indicate that the achromaticity problem can be resolved only with very specific, and probably unrealistic, properties of the intergalactic medium.- 14.80.Mz
- 98.80.Cq
- 97.60.Bw
- supernova: luminosity
- axion
- interference: (axion photon)
- plasma: effect
- coherence: length
- magnetic field
- numerical calculations
References(32)
Figures(0)