ALP induced polarization effects on photons from galaxy clusters

Abstract

Many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics and in particular superstring and superbrane theories predict the existence of axion-like particles (ALPs). ALPs are very elusive, extremely light and interact primarily with photons. In the presence of an external magnetic field two effects show up: (i) photon-ALP oscillations and (ii) a change of the photon polarization state. The astrophysical context represents the best opportunity to get indirect evidence for the ALP existence thanks to various effects that the photon-ALP interaction produces in the sky. Great attention has been paid so far to photon-ALP oscillations, since they modify the transparency of the crossed media at very high energies and so the final spectra of faraway sources exhibit a flux excess and a characteristic oscillatory behavior. Two hints at the ALP existence have hitherto been discovered. But less interest has been attracted by the modification of the photon polarization. In this paper we address it in the X-ray and in the high energy (HE) bands. Specifically, we analyze the photon degree of linear polarization and the polarization angle induced by the photon-ALP interaction for photons generated in the central region of two galaxy clusters: Perseus and Coma. We find a substantial departure from conventional physics in both considered bands. We conclude that the ALP-induced polarization effects are more likely detectable with the proposed missions like COSI (approved to launch), e-ASTROGAM and AMEGO in the HE range. Still, possible ALP-induced effects on photon polarization could also be detected by IXPE (already operative) and by the proposed eXTP, XL-Calibur, NGXP and XPP in the X-ray band.