F. J. Iguaz

Towards a new generation axion helioscope

We study the feasibility of a new generation axion helioscope, the most ambitious and promising detector of solar axions to date. We show that large improvements in magnetic field volume, x-ray focusing optics and detector backgrounds are possible beyond those achieved in the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). For hadronic models, a sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling of gaγ few × 10−12 GeV−1 is conceivable, 1–1.5 orders of magnitude beyond the CAST sensitivity. If axions also couple to electrons, the Sun produces a larger flux for the same value of the Peccei-Quinn scale, allowing one to probe a broader class of models. Except for the axion dark matter searches, this experiment will be the most sensitive axion search ever, reaching or surpassing the stringent bounds from SN1987A and possibly testing the axion interpretation of anomalous white-dwarf cooling that predicts ma of a few meV. Beyond axions, this new instrument will probe entirely unexplored ranges of parameters for a large variety of axion-like particles (ALPs) and other novel excitations at the low-energy frontier of elementary particle physics.

Probing New Physics Models of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with SuperNEMO

The possibility to probe new physics scenarios of light Majorana neutrino exchange and right-handed currents at the planned next generation neutrinoless double β decay experiment SuperNEMO is discussed. Its ability to study different isotopes and track the outgoing electrons provides the means to discriminate different underlying mechanisms for the neutrinoless double β decay by measuring the decay half-life and the electron angular and energy distributions.

Search for Sub-eV Mass Solar Axions by the CERN Axion Solar Telescope with 3He Buffer Gas

S. Aune, K. Barth, A. Belov, S. Borghi, ∗ H. Bräuninger, G. Cantatore, J. M. Carmona, S. A. Cetin, J. I. Collar, T. Dafni, M. Davenport, C. Eleftheriadis, N. Elias, C. Ezer, G. Fanourakis, E. Ferrer-Ribas, P. Friedrich, J. Galán, J. A. Garćıa, A. Gardikiotis, E. N. Gazis, T. Geralis, I. Giomataris, S. Gninenko, H. Gómez, E. Gruber, T. Guthörl, R. Hartmann, † F. Haug, M. D. Hasinoff, D. H. H. Hoffmann, F. J. Iguaz, ‡ I. G. Irastorza, J. Jacoby, K. Jakovčić, M. Karuza, K. Königsmann, R. Kotthaus, M. Krčmar, M. Kuster, 16, § B. Lakić, ¶ J. M. Laurent, A. Liolios, A. Ljubičić, V. Lozza, G. Lutz, † G. Luzón, J. Morales, ∗∗ T. Niinikoski, †† A. Nordt, 16, ‡‡ T. Papaevangelou, M. J. Pivovaroff, G. Raffelt, T. Rashba, H. Riege, A. Rodŕıguez, M. Rosu, J. Ruz, 2 I. Savvidis, P. S. Silva, S. K. Solanki, L. Stewart, A. Tomás, M. Tsagri, ‡‡ K. van Bibber, §§ T. Vafeiadis, 9, 12 J. Villar, J. K. Vogel, 20, ¶¶ S. C. Yildiz, and K. Zioutas 12

Development and performance of Microbulk Micromegas detectors

A new Micromegas manufacturing technique, based on kapton etching technology, has been developed recently, resulting in further improvement of the characteristics of the detector, such as uniformity and stability. Excellent energy resolution has been obtained, reaching 11% FWHM for the 5.9 keV photon peak of the 55Fe X-ray source and 1.8% FWHM (with possible evidence of less than 1%) for the 5.5 MeV alpha peak of the 241Am source. The new Microbulk detector shows several advantages like flexible structure, low material and high radio-purity, opening thus new possibilities for both accelerator and low counting-rate experiments. The detector has already been used in CAST and n-TOF, while it is being tested for future neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments like NEXT. Details of the production of several types of Microbulk detectors will be described. First benchmark results will be presented, demonstrating the enhanced performance of Microbulk detectors.

Conceptual design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)

The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) will be a forth generation axion helioscope. As its primary physics goal, IAXO will look for axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) originating in the Sun via the Primakoff conversion of the solar plasma photons. In terms of signal-to-noise ratio, IAXO will be about 4–5 orders of magnitude more sensitive than CAST, currently the most powerful axion helioscope, reaching sensitivity to axion-photon couplings down to a few × 10−12 GeV−1 and thus probing a large fraction of the currently unexplored axion and ALP parameter space. IAXO will also be sensitive to solar axions produced by mechanisms mediated by the axion-electron coupling gae with sensitivity — for the first time — to values of gae not previously excluded by astrophysics. With several other possible physics cases, IAXO has the potential to serve as a multi-purpose facility for generic axion and ALP research in the next decade. In this paper we present the conceptual design of IAXO, which follows the layout of an enhanced axion helioscope, based on a purpose-built 20 m-long 8-coils toroidal superconducting magnet. All the eight 60cm-diameter magnet bores are equipped with focusing x-ray optics, able to focus the signal photons into ~ 0.2 cm2 spots that are imaged by ultra-low-background Micromegas x-ray detectors. The magnet is built into a structure with elevation and azimuth drives that will allow for solar tracking for ~ 12 h each day.

New CAST limit on the axion–photon interaction

During 2003--2015, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) has searched for

Search for solar axions by the CERN axion solar telescope with 3He buffer gas: closing the hot dark matter gap.

a\to\gamma

Present Status and Future Perspectives of the NEXT Experiment

conversion in the 9 T magnetic field of a refurbished LHC test magnet that can be directed toward the Sun. In its final phase of solar axion searches (2013--2015), CAST has returned to evacuated magnet pipes, which is optimal for small axion masses. The absence of a significant signal above background provides a world leading limit of

Initial results of NEXT-DEMO, a large-scale prototype of the NEXT-100 experiment

g_{a\gamma} < 0.66 \times 10^{-10} {\rm GeV}^{-1}

Micromegas detector developments for Dark Matter directional detection with MIMAC

(95% C.L.) on the axion-photon coupling strength for