NuSTAR as an Axion Helioscope: probing axion-nucleon and axion-electron couplings

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Hauptverfasser: Zanzarella, Tiziano, Candón, Francisco R., Giannotti, Maurizio, Regis, Marco, Ruz, Jaime, Taoso, Marco, Todarello, Elisa, Vogel, Julia K.
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Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Zanzarella, Tiziano
Candón, Francisco R.
Giannotti, Maurizio
Regis, Marco
Ruz, Jaime
Taoso, Marco
Todarello, Elisa
Vogel, Julia K.
author_facet Zanzarella, Tiziano
Candón, Francisco R.
Giannotti, Maurizio
Regis, Marco
Ruz, Jaime
Taoso, Marco
Todarello, Elisa
Vogel, Julia K.
contents We investigate solar X-ray observations as a probe of axions and axion-like particles. These particles can be produced in the interior of the Sun via the conversion of thermal photons, as well as through processes involving axion-electron and axion-nucleon interactions. The resulting axions can then reconvert into photons in the Sun's atmospheric magnetic field, generating a signal in the X-ray energy range. In this work, we derive new limits on axions using X-ray observations with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) during the 2020 solar minimum. In the regime where ALP production is dominated by couplings to electrons or nucleons, we obtain bounds on the product of couplings $g_{ae}\cdot g_{aγ}\lesssim 1.1\times10^{-24}\,\rm GeV^{-1}$ and $g_{aN}^{\rm eff}\cdot g_{aγ}\lesssim 2.3\times 10^{-19}\,\rm GeV^{-1}$ at 95% CL, for axion masses $m_a\lesssim10^{-6}\,\rm eV$. These constraints strongly improve current ground-based experimental limits, establishing solar X-ray observations as a powerful and robust method for axion searches.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_26265
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle NuSTAR as an Axion Helioscope: probing axion-nucleon and axion-electron couplings
Zanzarella, Tiziano
Candón, Francisco R.
Giannotti, Maurizio
Regis, Marco
Ruz, Jaime
Taoso, Marco
Todarello, Elisa
Vogel, Julia K.
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
We investigate solar X-ray observations as a probe of axions and axion-like particles. These particles can be produced in the interior of the Sun via the conversion of thermal photons, as well as through processes involving axion-electron and axion-nucleon interactions. The resulting axions can then reconvert into photons in the Sun's atmospheric magnetic field, generating a signal in the X-ray energy range. In this work, we derive new limits on axions using X-ray observations with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) during the 2020 solar minimum. In the regime where ALP production is dominated by couplings to electrons or nucleons, we obtain bounds on the product of couplings $g_{ae}\cdot g_{aγ}\lesssim 1.1\times10^{-24}\,\rm GeV^{-1}$ and $g_{aN}^{\rm eff}\cdot g_{aγ}\lesssim 2.3\times 10^{-19}\,\rm GeV^{-1}$ at 95% CL, for axion masses $m_a\lesssim10^{-6}\,\rm eV$. These constraints strongly improve current ground-based experimental limits, establishing solar X-ray observations as a powerful and robust method for axion searches.
title NuSTAR as an Axion Helioscope: probing axion-nucleon and axion-electron couplings
topic Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.26265