Search for Axions in Magnetic White Dwarf Polarization at Lick and Keck Observatories
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2025
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| author | Benabou, Joshua N. Dessert, Christopher Patra, Kishore C. Brink, Thomas G. Zheng, WeiKang Filippenko, Alexei V. Safdi, Benjamin R. |
| author_facet | Benabou, Joshua N. Dessert, Christopher Patra, Kishore C. Brink, Thomas G. Zheng, WeiKang Filippenko, Alexei V. Safdi, Benjamin R. |
| contents | We present the most sensitive search to date for light axion-like particles with masses below a micro-eV, using spectropolarimetric data collected from the Lick and Keck Observatories. The conversion of optical photons emitted from the surface of a magnetic white dwarf (MWD) into axions in the strong magnetic field around the star induces a nearly wavelength-independent linear polarization in the observed starlight. We analyze the Stokes parameters $(U, Q, I)$ measured with the Kast spectrograph at the Lick Observatory toward the MWDs SDSS J033320+000720 and ZTF J190132+145807, and with the LRISp-ADC instrument at the Keck Observatory toward ZTF J190132+145807, SDSS J002129+150223, and SDSS J100356+053825 to search for this effect. The data show no evidence of axion-induced linear polarization, and we set world-leading constraints on the axion-photon coupling $|g_{aγγ}| \lesssim 1.7 \times 10^{-12} \,\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ at the $95\%$ confidence level for masses $m_a \lesssim 2 \times 10^{-7}\,\mathrm{eV}$. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_12377 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Search for Axions in Magnetic White Dwarf Polarization at Lick and Keck Observatories Benabou, Joshua N. Dessert, Christopher Patra, Kishore C. Brink, Thomas G. Zheng, WeiKang Filippenko, Alexei V. Safdi, Benjamin R. High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Solar and Stellar Astrophysics We present the most sensitive search to date for light axion-like particles with masses below a micro-eV, using spectropolarimetric data collected from the Lick and Keck Observatories. The conversion of optical photons emitted from the surface of a magnetic white dwarf (MWD) into axions in the strong magnetic field around the star induces a nearly wavelength-independent linear polarization in the observed starlight. We analyze the Stokes parameters $(U, Q, I)$ measured with the Kast spectrograph at the Lick Observatory toward the MWDs SDSS J033320+000720 and ZTF J190132+145807, and with the LRISp-ADC instrument at the Keck Observatory toward ZTF J190132+145807, SDSS J002129+150223, and SDSS J100356+053825 to search for this effect. The data show no evidence of axion-induced linear polarization, and we set world-leading constraints on the axion-photon coupling $|g_{aγγ}| \lesssim 1.7 \times 10^{-12} \,\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ at the $95\%$ confidence level for masses $m_a \lesssim 2 \times 10^{-7}\,\mathrm{eV}$. |
| title | Search for Axions in Magnetic White Dwarf Polarization at Lick and Keck Observatories |
| topic | High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Solar and Stellar Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.12377 |