Work

Polarization signals from axion-photon resonant conversion in a neutron star magnetosphere

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Neutron stars provide ideal astrophysical laboratories for probing new physics beyond the Standard Model. If axions exist, then photons can develop linear polarization during photon-axion conversion in the magnetic field of a neutron star. We find that the plasma in the neutron star magnetosphere could dramatically enhance the polarization through the resonant conversion effect. With the polarization measurements from PSR B 0656 + 14 , 4U 0142 + 61 , and the benchmark polarization measurement in the midinfrared band, we demonstrate that optical and infrared polarization from neutron stars can provide strong constraints on the axion-photon coupling over a broad axion mass range 10 − 11 ≲ m a ≲ 10 − 3 eV .

Source: Physical review. D/Physical review. D.

DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.111.043025

Authors: Ningqiang Song, Liangliang Su, Lei Wu

Institution: Nanjing Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena

Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China