Sensitivity of JWST to eV-Scale Decaying Axion Dark Matter

Area of Science:

• Astrophysics
• Cosmology
• Particle Physics

Background:

• Dark matter constitutes a significant portion of the universe's mass.
• Axions are a leading theoretical candidate for dark matter particles.
• The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) possesses unprecedented sensitivity to detect faint astrophysical signals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To forecast the sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to axion decay signals.
• To constrain the properties of axion dark matter using future JWST observations.
• To explore the potential of JWST in probing fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model.

Main Methods:

• Simulating the expected end-of-mission sensitivity of JWST.
• Utilizing blank-sky observations during standard JWST operations.
• Analyzing potential eV-scale emission lines originating from dark matter decay.

Main Results:

• JWST can constrain axions in the mass range of 0.18 to 2.6 eV.
• Axion-photon couplings can be constrained to g_{aγγ}≳5.5×10^{-12} GeV^{-1}.
• Specific constraints will be placed on nucleophobic QCD axions with masses ≲0.2 eV.

Conclusions:

• JWST observations offer a novel window to probe dark matter properties.
• The telescope's capabilities can significantly advance the search for axion dark matter.
• This research highlights JWST's potential to impact particle physics and cosmology.