Search for QCD Coupled Axion Dark Matter with Data from the MICROSCOPE Space Experiment

Area of Science:

• Cosmology and astrophysics
• Particle physics
• Fundamental physics

Background:

• Axion dark matter models predict differential acceleration between test masses.
• The equivalence principle is a fundamental concept in physics.
• The MICROSCOPE mission tested the equivalence principle with high precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To search for signals of axion dark matter using the MICROSCOPE experiment's final data.
• To constrain the axion-gluon coupling constant.
• To improve existing laboratory bounds on axion properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized final released data from the MICROSCOPE space mission.
• Performed a search for a non-zero differential acceleration between test masses of different compositions.
• Applied analysis techniques to set upper limits on the axion-gluon coupling.

Main Results:

• No positive signal consistent with axion dark matter was detected.
• Established new upper limits on the axion-gluon coupling.
• Improved existing laboratory bounds by up to two orders of magnitude for specific axion masses.

Conclusions:

• The MICROSCOPE experiment places stringent constraints on axion dark matter models.
• The results exclude a significant portion of the parameter space for axion-gluon coupling.
• Further investigations with enhanced sensitivity may be required to detect potential axion dark matter signals.