Search for energetic cosmic axions utilizing terrestrial/celestial magnetic fields

Abstract

Orbiting $\gamma$-detectors combined with the magnetic field of the Earth or the Sun can work parasitically as cosmic axion telescopes. The relatively short field lengths allow the axion-to-photon conversion to be coherent for $m_{axion} \sim 10^{-4}$ eV, if the axion kinetic energy is above $\sim 500$ keV (Earth's field), or, $\sim 50$ MeV (Sun's field), allowing thus to search for axions from $e^+e^-$ annihilations, from supernova explosions, etc. With a detector angular resolution of $\sim 1^o$, a more efficient sky survey for energetic cosmic axions passing {\it through the Sun} can be performed. Axions or other axion-like particles might be created by the interaction of the cosmic radiation with the Sun, similarly to the axion searches in accelerator beam dump experiments; the enormous cosmic energy combined with the built-in coherent Primakoff effect might provide a sensitive detection scheme, being out of reach with accelerators. The axion signal will be an excess in $\gamma$-rays coming either from a specific celestial place behind the Sun, e.g. the Galactic Center, or, from any other direction in the sky being associated with a violent astrophysical event, e.g. a supernova. Earth bound detectors are also of potential interest. The axion scenario also applies to other stars or binary systems in the Universe, in particular to those with superstrong magnetic fields.