Axion-like particles, cosmic magnetic fields and gamma-ray astrophysics

2007/07/31 by A. De Angelis, Alessandro De Angelis, O. Mansutti +3 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena #astro-ph #hep-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2007.12.012

published as Phys.Lett.B659:847-855,2008 · 17 pages, 6 figures; accepted for publication in Physics Letters B. Revised version

arxiv created 2007/12/14 · openalex publication_date 2008/01/07 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Axion-like particles (ALPs) are predicted by many extensions of the Standard Model and give rise to characteristic dimming and polarization effects in a light beam travelling in a magnetic field. In this Letter, we demonstrate that photon-ALP mixing in cosmic magnetic fields produces an observable distortion in the energy spectra of distant gamma-ray sources (like AGN) for ranges of the ALP parameters allowed by all available constraints. The resulting effect is expected to show up in the energy band 100 MeV–100 GeV, and so it can be searched with the upcoming GLAST mission.

Citations

• Light spinless particle coupled to photons
• The Spatial Energy Spectrum of Magnetic Fields in Our Galaxy
• Photon splitting and photon dispersion in a strong magnetic field
• Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant
• Intrinsic spin-Hall accumulation in honeycomb lattices: Band structure effects
• Gamma Rays from SN 1987A due to Pseudoscalar Conversion

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