Constraining the axion-photon coupling using radio data of the Bullet cluster

Area of Science:

• Cosmology
• Particle Physics
• Astrophysics

Background:

• Axions are a leading candidate for cosmological dark matter.
• Recent studies suggest axion masses near the μeV range.
• Axion decay can produce detectable radio photons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of galaxy cluster radio data for constraining axion dark matter.
• To establish new limits on axion properties using observational data.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing radio data from the Bullet cluster (1E 0657-55.8).
• Analyzing spontaneous axion decay signatures in radio frequencies.
• Comparing derived limits with existing experimental constraints.

Main Results:

• The Bullet cluster data yields an upper limit on the axion-photon coupling constant.
• This constraint is found to be tighter than that from the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST).
• The derived limit is [Formula: see text] GeV[Formula: see text] for axion masses around [Formula: see text] μeV.

Conclusions:

• Radio observations of galaxy clusters are effective for constraining axion dark matter.
• The Bullet cluster provides a more stringent limit on axion-photon coupling for specific mass ranges.
• This method offers a promising avenue for future axion searches.