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arXiv · 1708.06367

Search for axion-like dark matter through nuclear spin precession in electric and magnetic fields

C. Abel·N. J. Ayres·G. Ban·G. Bison·K. Bodek·V. Bondar·M. Daum·M. Fairbairn·V. V. Flambaum·P. Geltenbort·K. Green·W. C. Griffith·M. van der Grinten·Z. D. Grujić·P. G. Harris·N. Hild·P. Iaydjiev·S. N. Ivanov·M. Kasprzak·Y. Kermaidic·K. Kirch·H. -C. Koch·S. Komposch·P. A. Koss·A. Kozela·J. Krempel·B. Lauss·T. Lefort·Y. Lemière·D. J. E. Marsh·P. Mohanmurthy·A. Mtchedlishvili·M. Musgrave·F. M. Piegsa·G. Pignol·M. Rawlik·D. Rebreyend·D. Ries·S. Roccia·D. Rozpędzik·P. Schmidt-Wellenburg·N. Severijns·D. Shiers·Y. V. Stadnik·A. Weis·E. Wursten·J. Zejma·G. Zsigmond
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Abstract

We report on a search for ultra-low-mass axion-like dark matter by analysing the ratio of the spin-precession frequencies of stored ultracold neutrons and $^{199}$Hg atoms for an axion-induced oscillating electric dipole moment of the neutron and an axion-wind spin-precession effect. No signal consistent with dark matter is observed for the axion mass range $10^{-24}~\textrm{eV} \le m_a \le 10^{-17}~\textrm{eV}$. Our null result sets the first laboratory constraints on the coupling of axion dark matter to gluons, which improve on astrophysical limits by up to 3 orders of magnitude, and also improves on previous laboratory constraints on the axion coupling to nucleons by up to a factor of 40.

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C. Abel, N. J. Ayres, G. Ban, G. Bison, K. Bodek, V. Bondar, M. Daum, M. Fairbairn, V. V. Flambaum, P. Geltenbort, K. Green, W. C. Griffith, M. van der Grinten, Z. D. Grujić, P. G. Harris, N. Hild, P. Iaydjiev, S. N. Ivanov, M. Kasprzak, Y. Kermaidic, K. Kirch, H. -C. Koch, S. Komposch, P. A. Koss, A. Kozela, J. Krempel, B. Lauss, T. Lefort, Y. Lemière, D. J. E. Marsh, P. Mohanmurthy, A. Mtchedlishvili, M. Musgrave, F. M. Piegsa, G. Pignol, M. Rawlik, D. Rebreyend, D. Ries, S. Roccia, D. Rozpędzik, P. Schmidt-Wellenburg, N. Severijns, D. Shiers, Y. V. Stadnik, A. Weis, E. Wursten, J. Zejma, G. Zsigmond. 2017-08-21. Search for axion-like dark matter through nuclear spin precession in electric and magnetic fields. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevx.7.041034

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