Probing the general axion-nucleon interaction in water Cherenkov experiments

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Autori principali: Cavan-Piton, Mael, Guadagnoli, Diego, Iohner, Axel, Fernandez-Menendez, Pablo, Vittorio, Ludovico
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Cavan-Piton, Mael
Guadagnoli, Diego
Iohner, Axel
Fernandez-Menendez, Pablo
Vittorio, Ludovico
author_facet Cavan-Piton, Mael
Guadagnoli, Diego
Iohner, Axel
Fernandez-Menendez, Pablo
Vittorio, Ludovico
contents We consider an axion flux on Earth consistent with emission from the Supernova explosion SN 1987A. Using Chiral Perturbation Theory augmented with an axion, we calculate the energy spectrum of $a + N \to N + γ$ as well as $a + N \to N + π^0$, where $N$ denotes a nucleon in a water tank, such as the one planned for the Hyper-Kamiokande neutrino detection facility. Our calculations assume the most general axion-quark interactions, with couplings constrained either solely by experimental data, or by specific theory scenarios. We find that even for the QCD axion -- whose interaction strength with matter is at its weakest as compared with axion-like particles -- the expected Čherenkov-light spectrum from neutrino-nucleon interactions is modified in a potentially detectable way. Furthermore, detectability appears significantly more promising for the $N + π^0$ final state, as its spectrum peaks an order of magnitude higher and at energies twice as large compared to the $N + γ$ counterpart. Given the rarity of SN events where both the neutrino and the hypothetical axion burst are detectable, we emphasize the importance of identifying additional mechanisms that could enhance such signals.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_17490
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Probing the general axion-nucleon interaction in water Cherenkov experiments
Cavan-Piton, Mael
Guadagnoli, Diego
Iohner, Axel
Fernandez-Menendez, Pablo
Vittorio, Ludovico
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
We consider an axion flux on Earth consistent with emission from the Supernova explosion SN 1987A. Using Chiral Perturbation Theory augmented with an axion, we calculate the energy spectrum of $a + N \to N + γ$ as well as $a + N \to N + π^0$, where $N$ denotes a nucleon in a water tank, such as the one planned for the Hyper-Kamiokande neutrino detection facility. Our calculations assume the most general axion-quark interactions, with couplings constrained either solely by experimental data, or by specific theory scenarios. We find that even for the QCD axion -- whose interaction strength with matter is at its weakest as compared with axion-like particles -- the expected Čherenkov-light spectrum from neutrino-nucleon interactions is modified in a potentially detectable way. Furthermore, detectability appears significantly more promising for the $N + π^0$ final state, as its spectrum peaks an order of magnitude higher and at energies twice as large compared to the $N + γ$ counterpart. Given the rarity of SN events where both the neutrino and the hypothetical axion burst are detectable, we emphasize the importance of identifying additional mechanisms that could enhance such signals.
title Probing the general axion-nucleon interaction in water Cherenkov experiments
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.17490