A decommissioned LHC model magnet as an axion telescope

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 1999-04, Vol.425 (3), p.480-487
• Main Authors: Zioutas, K., Aalseth, C.E., Abriola, D., III, F.T.Avignone, Brodzinski, R.L., Collar, J.I., Creswick, R., Gregorio, D.E.Di, Farach, H., Gattone, A.O., Guérard, C.K., Hasenbalg, F., Hasinoff, M., Huck, H., Liolios, A., Miley, H.S., Morales, A., Morales, J., Nikas, D., Nussinov, S., Ortiz, A., Savvidis, E., Scopel, S., Sievers, P., Villar, J.A., Walckiers, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dark matter; LHC; Solar axions; Superconducting magnets
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-9002(98)01442-9

The 8.4 T, 10 m long transverse magnetic field of a twin aperture LHC bending magnet can be utilized as a macroscopic coherent solar axion-to-photon converter. Numerical calculations show that the integrated time of alignment with the Sun would be 33 days/yr with the magnet on a tracking table capable of ±5° in the vertical direction and ±40° in the horizontal direction. The existing lower bound on the axion-to-photon coupling constant can be improved by a factor between 30 and 100 in 3 yr, i.e., g aγγ ≲9×10 −11 GeV −1 for axion masses ≲ 1 eV. This value falls within the existing open axion mass window. The same set-up can simultaneously search for low- and high-energy celestial axions, or axion-like particles, scanning the sky as the Earth rotates and orbits the Sun.