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arXiv · 2606.15269

Line-of-sight magnetic-field propagation effects on axion-like particle constraints from GRB 221009A

Chengcheng Han·Zhanhong Lei·Jiajie Yang·Shutong Zhao
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Abstract

High-energy photons from GRB 221009A provide a powerful opportunity to probe axion-like particles (ALPs) through photon-ALP oscillations in cosmic magnetic fields. We revisit the ALP constraints implied by the LHAASO observation of this burst, with particular emphasis on the magnetic-field environments encountered along the line of sight. We include the host-galaxy, intergalactic, and Milky-Way magnetic fields and assess their respective impacts on the photon survival probability and on the exclusion limits in the ALP mass-coupling plane. We show that the constraints are only mildly affected by the choice of host-galaxy and Galactic magnetic-field models, but can change significantly once the intergalactic magnetic field is varied. Its field strength, coherence scale, and stochastic properties can all leave visible imprints on the derived exclusion contours, and in some cases generate pronounced oscillatory features. This demonstrates that the intergalactic magnetic field constitutes the dominant astrophysical uncertainty in extracting ALP limits from GRB 221009A. Our analysis highlights the importance of realistic propagation modeling in future gamma-ray searches for ALPs.

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Chengcheng Han, Zhanhong Lei, Jiajie Yang, Shutong Zhao. 2026-06-13. Line-of-sight magnetic-field propagation effects on axion-like particle constraints from GRB 221009A. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.15269

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