arXiv subjects

Pierluca Carenza

Publications and source records attributed to Pierluca Carenza.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Constraining heavy axion-like particles by energy deposition in Globular Cluster stars

Heavy axion-like particles (ALPs), with masses up to a few 100 keV and coupled with photons can be efficiently produced in stellar plasmas, contributing to a significant energy-loss. This argument has been applied to helium burning stars in Globular Clusters (GCs) to obtain stringent bounds on the ALP-photon coupling $g_{aγ}$. However, for sufficiently large values of the ALP mass and coupling to photons, one should expect a significant fraction of ALPs to decay inside the star. These ALPs do not contribute to the energy loss but rather lead to an efficient energy transfer inside the star. We present a new ballistic recipe that covers both the energy-loss and energy-transfer regimes and we perform the first dedicated simulation of GC stars including the ALP energy transfer. This argument allows us to constrain ALPs with $m_a \lesssim 0.4$ MeV and $g_{aγ} \simeq 10^{-5}$ GeV$^{-1}$, probing a section of the ALP parameter space informally known as "cosmological triangle". This region is particularly interesting since it has been excluded only using standard cosmological arguments that can be evaded in nonstandard scenarios.

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arXiv2022

Axion signatures from supernova explosions through the nucleon electric-dipole portal

We consider axions coupled to nucleons and photons only through the nucleon electric-dipole moment (EDM) portal. This coupling is a model-independent feature of QCD axions, which solve the strong CP problem, and might arise as well in more general axion-like particle setups. We revise the supernova (SN) axion emission induced by the nucleon EDM coupling and refine accordingly the SN 1987A bound. Furthermore, we calculate the axion flux from a future Galactic SN and show that it might produce a peculiar and potentially detectable gamma-ray signal in a large underground neutrino detector such as the proposed Hyper-Kamiokande. The possibility to detect such a signal offers a way to search for an oscillating nucleon EDM complementary to CASPERe, without relying on the assumption that axions are a sizeable component of the dark matter. Furthermore, if axions from SN produce an observable signal, they could also lead to an amount of cosmological extra-radiation observable in future cosmic surveys.

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arXiv2022

Constraining axion-like particles with the diffuse gamma-ray flux measured by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory

The detection of very high-energy neutrinos by IceCube experiment supports the existence of a comparable gamma-ray counterpart from the same cosmic accelerators. Under the likely assumption that the sources of these particles are of extragalactic origin, the emitted photon flux would be significantly absorbed during its propagation over cosmic distances. However, in the presence of photon mixing with ultra-light axion-like-particles (ALPs), this expectation would be strongly modified. Notably, photon-ALP conversions in the host galaxy would produce an ALP flux which propagates unimpeded in the extragalactic space. Then, the back-conversion of ALPs in the Galactic magnetic field leads to a diffuse high-energy photon flux. In this context, the recent detection of the diffuse high-energy photon flux by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) allows us to exclude at the $95\%$ CL an ALP-photon coupling $g_{aγ}\gtrsim 3.9-7.8 \times 10^{-11}~\mathrm{GeV^{-1}}$ for $m_{a}\lesssim 4\times10^{-7}~\mathrm{eV}$, depending on the assumptions on the magnetic fields and on the original gamma-ray spectrum. This new bound is complementary with other ALP constraints from very-high-energy gamma-ray experiments and sensitivities of future experiments.

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arXiv2022

511 keV line constraints on feebly interacting particles from supernovae

Feebly interacting particles with masses with O(10-100) MeV can be copiously produced by core-collapse supernovae (SNe). In this paper we consider the case of MeV-ish sterile neutrinos and dark photons mixed with ordinary neutrinos and photons, respectively. Furthermore, both sterile neutrinos and dark photons may decay into positrons on their route to Earth. Such positrons would annihilate with electrons in the Galactic medium and contribute to the photon flux in the 511 keV line. Using the SPI (SPectrometer on INTEGRAL) observation of this line improves the bounds on the mixing parameters for these particles by several orders of magnitude below what is already excluded by the SN 1987A energy-loss argument.

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arXiv2022

3D template-based $Fermi$-LAT constraints on the diffuse supernova axion-like particle background

Axion-like particles (ALPs) may be abundantly produced in core-collapse (CC) supernovae (SNe), hence the cumulative signal from all past SN events can create a diffuse flux peaked at energies of about 25~MeV. We improve upon the modeling of the ALPs flux by including a set of CC SN models with different progenitor masses, as well as the effects of failed CC SNe -- which yield the formation of black holes instead of explosions. Relying on the coupling strength of ALPs to photons and the related Primakoff process, the diffuse SN ALP flux is converted into gamma rays while traversing the magnetic field of the Milky Way. The spatial morphology of this signal is expected to follow the shape of the Galactic magnetic field lines. We make use of this via a template-based analysis that utilizes 12 years of $Fermi$-LAT data in the energy range from 50 MeV to 500 GeV. In our benchmark case of the realization of astrophysical and cosmological parameters, we find an upper limit of $g_{aγ} \lesssim 3.76\times10^{-11}\;\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$ at 95$\%$ confidence level for $m_a \ll 10^{-11}$ eV, while we find that systematic deviations from this benchmark scenario induce an uncertainty as large as about a factor of two. Our result slightly improves the CAST bound, while still being a factor of six (baseline scenario) weaker than the SN1987A gamma-ray burst limit.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

The Fourier formalism for relativistic axion-photon conversion, with astrophysical applications

We study the weak mixing of photons and relativistic axion-like particles (axions) in plasmas with background magnetic fields, ${\bf B}$. We show that, to leading order in the axion-photon coupling, the conversion probability, $P_{γ\to a}$, is given by the one-dimensional power spectrum of the magnetic field components perpendicular to the particle trajectory. Equivalently, we express $P_{γ\to a}$ as the Fourier transform of the magnetic field autocorrelation function, and establish a dictionary between properties of the real-space magnetic field and the energy-dependent conversion probability. For axions more massive than the plasma frequency, ($m_a>ω_{\rm pl}$), we use this formalism to analytically solve the problem of perturbative axion-photon mixing in a general magnetic field. In the general case where $ω_{\rm pl}/m_a$ varies arbitrarily along the trajectory, we show that a naive application of the standard formalism for 'resonant' conversion can give highly inaccurate results, and that a careful calculation generically gives non-resonant contributions at least as large as the resonant contribution. Furthermore, we demonstrate how techniques based on the Fast Fourier Transform provide a new, highly efficient numerical method for calculating axion-photon mixing. We briefly discuss magnetic field modelling in galaxy clusters in the light of our results and argue, in particular, that a recently proposed 'regular' model used for studying axion-photon mixing (specifically applied to the Perseus cluster) is inconsistent with observations. Our formalism suggest new methods to search for imprints of axions, and will be important for spectrographs with percent level sensitivity, which includes existing X-ray observations by Chandra as well as the upcoming Athena mission.

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arXiv2021

Supernova bound on Axion-Like Particles coupled with electrons

Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) coupled with electrons would be produced in a Supernova (SN) via electron-proton bremsstrahlung and electron-positron fusion. We evaluate the ALP emissivity from these processes by taking into account the ALP mass and thermal effects on electrons in the strongly degenerate and relativistic SN plasma. Using a state-of-the-art SN simulation, we evaluate the SN 1987A cooling bound on ALPs for masses in the range $1-200$ MeV, which excludes currently unprobed regions down to $g_{ae}\sim 2.5\times 10^{-10}$ at $m_a\sim 120$ MeV.

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arXiv2021

Reconciling hints on axion-like-particles from high-energy gamma rays with stellar bounds

It has been recently claimed by two different groups that the spectral modulation observed in gamma rays from Galactic pulsars and supernova remnants can be due to conversion of photons into ultra-light axion-like-particles (ALPs) in large-scale Galactic magnetic fields. While we show the required best-fit photon-ALP coupling, $g_{aγ} \sim 2 \times 10^{-10}$ GeV${}^{-1}$, to be consistent with constraints from observations of photon-ALPs mixing in vacuum, this is in conflict with other bounds, specifically from the CAST solar axion limit, from the helium-burning lifetime in globular clusters, and from the non-observations of gamma rays in coincidence with SN 1987A. In order to reconcile these different results, we propose that environmental effects in matter would suppress the ALP production in dense astrophysical plasma, allowing to relax previous bounds and make them compatible with photon-ALP conversions in the low-density Galactic medium. If this explanation is correct, the claimed ALP signal would be on the reach of next-generations laboratory experiments such as ALPS II.

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arXiv2021

Observable signatures of enhanced axion emission from protoneutron stars

We perform general relativistic one-dimensional supernova (SN) simulations to identify observable signatures of enhanced axion emission from the pion-induced reaction $π^- + p \rightarrow n + a$ inside a newly born protoneutron star (PNS).We focus on the early evolution after the onset of the supernova explosion to predict the temporal and spectral features of the neutrino and axion emission during the first 10 s. Pions are included as explicit new degrees of freedom in hot and dense matter. Their thermal population and their role in axion production are both determined consistently to include effects due to their interactions with nucleons. For a wide range of ambient conditions encountered inside a PNS, we find that the pion-induced axion production dominates over nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung processes. By consistently including the role of pions on the dense matter equation of state and on the energy loss, our simulations predict robust discernible features of neutrino and axion emission from a galactic supernova that can be observed in terrestrial detectors. For axion couplings that are compatible with current bounds, we find a significant suppression with time of the neutrino luminosity during the first 10 s. This suggests that current bounds derived from the neutrino signal from SN 1987A can be improved and that future galactic supernovae may provide significantly more stringent constraints.

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arXiv2021

Supernova bounds on axion-like particles coupled with nucleons and electrons

We investigate the potential of type II supernovae (SNe) to constrain axion-like particles (ALPs) coupled simultaneously to nucleons and electrons. ALPs coupled to nucleons can be efficiently produced in the SN core via nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung and, for a wide range of parameters, leave the SN unhindered, producing a large ALP flux. For masses exceeding 1 MeV, these ALPs would decay into electron-positron pairs, generating a positron flux. In the case of Galactic SNe, the annihilation of the created positrons with the electrons present in the Galaxy would contribute to the 511 keV annihilation line. Using the SPI (SPectrometer on INTEGRAL) observation of this line, allows us to exclude a wide range of the axion-electron coupling, $10^{-19} \lesssim g_{ae} \lesssim 10^{-11}$, for $g_{ap}\sim 10^{-9}$. Additionally, ALPs from extra-galactic SNe decaying into electron-positron pairs would yield a contribution to the cosmic X-ray background. In this case, we constrain the ALP-electron coupling down to $g_{ae} \sim 10^{-20}$.

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arXiv2021

Thermal axions with multi-eV masses are possible in low-reheating scenarios

We revise cosmological mass bounds on hadronic axions in low-reheating cosmological scenarios, with a reheating temperature $T_{\rm RH}~\le 100$ MeV, in light of the latest cosmological observations. In this situation, the neutrino decoupling would be unaffected, while the thermal axion relic abundance is suppressed. Moreover, axions are colder in low-reheating temperature scenarios, so that bounds on their abundance are possibly loosened. As a consequence of these two facts, cosmological mass limits on axions are relaxed. Using state-of-the-art cosmological data and characterizing axion-pion interactions at the leading order in chiral perturbation theory, we find in the standard case an axion mass bound $m_a < 0.26$ eV. However, axions with masses $m_a \simeq 1$ eV, or heavier, would be allowed for reheating temperatures $T_{\rm RH} \lesssim 80$ MeV. Multi-eV axions would be outside the mass sensitivity of current and planned solar axion helioscopes and would demand new experimental approaches to be detected.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Turbulent axion-photon conversions in the Milky-Way

The Milky-Way magnetic field can trigger conversions between photons and axion-like particles (ALPs), leading to peculiar features on the observable photon spectra. Previous studies considered only the regular component of the magnetic field. However, observations consistently show the existence of an additional turbulent component, with a similar strength and correlated on a scale of a few 10$\,$pc. We investigate the impact of the turbulent magnetic field on the ALP-photon conversions, characterizing the effects numerically and analytically. We show that the turbulent magnetic field can change the conversion probability by up to a factor of two and may lead to observable irregularities in the observable photon spectra from different astrophysical sources.

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arXiv2021

Revisiting axion-electron bremsstrahlung emission rates in astrophysical environments

The axion-electron coupling $g_{ae}$ is a generic feature of non-hadronic axion models. This coupling may induce a variety of observable signatures, particularly in astrophysical environments. Here, we revisit the calculation of the axion-electron bremsstrahlung and provide a general formulation valid for a non-relativistic plasma with any level of degeneracy and for any axion mass. We apply our result to the Sun, red giant stars and white dwarfs. In particular, we prove that the approximations used to evaluate the axion emissivity in red giants agree with the exact result within $10\%$, comparable with other uncertainties in these studies. In addition, this prescription allows the red giant and white dwarf bounds to be extended to massive axions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Axion-like Particles from Hypernovae

It was recently pointed out that very energetic subclasses of supernovae (SNe), like hypernovae and superluminous SNe, might host ultra-strong magnetic fields in their core. Such fields may catalyze the production of feebly interacting particles, changing the predicted emission rates. Here we consider the case of axion-like particles (ALPs) and show that the predicted large scale magnetic fields in the core contribute significantly to the ALP production, via a coherent conversion of thermal photons. Using recent state-of-the-art SN simulations including magnetohydrodynamics, we find that if ALPs have masses $m_a \sim {\mathcal O}(10)\, \rm MeV$, their emissivity via magnetic conversions is over two orders of magnitude larger than previously estimated. Moreover, the radiative decay of these massive ALPs would lead to a peculiar delay in the arrival times of the daughter photons. Therefore, high-statistics gamma-ray satellites can potentially discover MeV ALPs in an unprobed region of the parameter space and shed light on the magnetohydrodinamical nature of the SN explosion.

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arXiv2021

Enhanced Supernova Axion Emission and its Implications

We calculate the axion emission rate from reactions involving thermal pions in matter encountered in supernovae and neutron star mergers, identify unique spectral features, and explore their implications for astrophysics and particle physics. We find that it is about 2-5 times larger than nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung, which in past studies was considered to be the dominant process. The axion spectrum is also found be much harder. Together, the larger rates and higher axion energies imply a stronger bound on the mass of the QCD axion, and better prospects for direct detection in a large underground neutrino detector from a nearby galactic supernova.

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arXiv2020

Production of axion-like particles from photon conversions in large-scale solar magnetic fields

The Sun is a well-studied astrophysical source of axion-like particles (ALPs), produced mainly through the Primakoff process. Moreover, in the Sun there exist large-scale magnetic fields that catalyze an additional ALP production via a coherent conversion of thermal photons. We study this contribution to the solar ALP emissivity, typically neglected in previous investigations. Furthermore, we discuss additional bounds on the ALP-photon coupling from energy-loss arguments, and the detection perspectives of this new ALP flux at future helioscope and dark matter experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Heavy axion-like particles and core-collapse supernovae: constraints and impact on the explosion mechanism

Heavy axion-like particles (ALPs), with masses $m_a \gtrsim 100$ keV, coupled with photons, would be copiously produced in a supernova (SN) core via Primakoff process and photon coalescence. Using a state-of-the-art SN model, we revisit the energy-loss SN 1987A bounds on axion-photon coupling. Moreover, we point out that heavy ALPs with masses $m_a \gtrsim 100$ MeV and axion-photon coupling $g_{aγ} \gtrsim 4 \times 10^{-9}$ GeV$^{-1}$ would decay into photons behind the shock-wave producing a possible enhancement in the energy deposition that would boost the SN shock revival.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Bounds on axion-like particles from the diffuse supernova flux

The cumulative emission of Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) from all past core-collapse supernovae (SNe) would lead to a diffuse flux with energies ${\mathcal O}(50)$ MeV. We use this to constrain ALPs featuring couplings to photons and to nucleons. ALPs coupled only to photons are produced in the SN core via the Primakoff process, and then converted into gamma rays in the Galactic magnetic field. We set a bound on $g_{aγ} \lesssim 5 \times 10^{-10}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for $m_a \lesssim 10^{-11}~{\rm eV}$, using recent measurements of the diffuse gamma-ray flux observed by the Fermi-LAT telescope. However, if ALPs couple also with nucleons, their production rate in SN can be considerably enhanced due to the ALPs nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung process. Assuming the largest ALP-nucleon coupling phenomenologically allowed, bounds on the diffuse gamma-ray flux lead to a much stronger $g_{aγ} \lesssim 6 \times 10^{-13}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for the same mass range. If ALPs are heavier than $\sim$ keV, the decay into photons becomes significant, leading again to a diffuse gamma-ray flux. In the case of only photon coupling, we find, e.g. $g_{aγ} \lesssim 5 \times 10^{-11}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for $m_a \sim 5~{\rm keV}$. Allowing for a (maximal) coupling to nucleons, the limit improves to the level of $g_{aγ} \lesssim 10^{-19}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for $m_a \sim 20~{\rm MeV}$, which represents the strongest constraint to date.

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