Microwave cavity searches for low-frequency axion dark matter

We propose a large-scale experimental search for dark-matter axions which may constitute an important fraction of our own galactic halo. As shown by Sikivie,1 dark-matter axions may be detected by their stimulated conversion into monochromatic microwave photons in a tunable high-Q cavity inside a strong magnetic field. The principal improvement in power sensitivity over two earlier pilot experiments (×25) derives from the large-volume high field superconducting magnet (the NASA SUMMA coils). The improvement in mass range (1.5 to 12.6 μeV) will result from the use of several microwave cavity arrays, of 2n cavities each, over the course of the experimental program, rather than a single cavity. We are participating in a joint venture with the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences to do R&D on metalized precision-formed ceramic microwave cavities for the axion search.

Download Full-text

SQUID-Based Microwave Cavity Search for Dark-Matter Axions

Physical Review Letters ◽

10.1103/physrevlett.104.041301 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 104 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 344

Author(s):

S. J. Asztalos ◽

G. Carosi ◽

C. Hagmann ◽

D. Kinion ◽

K. van Bibber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Microwave Cavity

Download Full-text

Progress in the microwave cavity search for dark matter axions

The Fourteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting ◽

10.1142/9789813226609_0285 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Samantha M. Lewis ◽

Karl van Bibber

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Microwave Cavity

Download Full-text

Acoustic instrumentation for a bubble chamber towards dark matter searches

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/20198801002 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 88 ◽

pp. 01002

Author(s):

M. Reis ◽

M. Felizardo ◽

A. C. Fernandes ◽

A. Kling ◽

T. Morlat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

System Design ◽

Bubble Chamber ◽

Bubble Formation ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Detector Response ◽

Acoustic Detection ◽

Acoustic Signatures ◽

Design And Testing ◽

Made In

Dark matter is one of the top unsolved mysteries in physics. Its existence is well-established although its nature remains unknown. Despite the progress made in the direct search effort, reflecting over 10 orders of magnitude in sensitivity since 1984, no true candidates to explain this phenomenon have appeared in searches covering a range from ~10 GeV to 1 TeV. This article reports on the development of a 1 kg freon bubble chamber prototype, including the chamber recompression system design and testing, initial acoustic detection of bubble formation, and initial neutron and alpha detector response studies. The prototype constructed was a transparent acrylic containment vessel, capable of withstanding recompression cycles to a pressure of 16 bar. The acoustic signal accompanying bubble formation was investigated using three different sensors: a low frequency microphone (Panasonic) with a flat response over 0.020-16 kHz, an ultrasound externallypolarized condenser microphone (AviSoft) with a flat response over 10-150 kHz, and an hydrophone (Reson) with a flat response over 5-170 kHz. Acoustic signatures of several induced events were successfully registered. The data acquisition digitizer used, to meet the range of the three microphones, was the NI PCI-6251 16-Bit, with at least 1.25 MSps for 1-Channel.

Download Full-text

Astronomy from a Lunar Base

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900228350 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 166 ◽

pp. 347-350

Author(s):

S. Volonte

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Particle Spectrum ◽

Human Intervention ◽

The Moon ◽

Astronomical Observations ◽

Very Low Frequency ◽

Long Baseline ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Universe

The Moon is generally considered to be an ideal site for astronomy, offering excellent observing conditions and access to the entire electromagnetic and particle spectrum. A wide range of astronomical observations can be carried out from the Moon, but, as concluded in a recent ESA study (Mission to the Moon 1992), only a restricted number could be better implemented from a lunar site rather than from any other location. Very low frequency (VLF) astronomy, astrometry and interferometry fall into this category, as well as a transit telescope to map dark matter in the Universe. Whilst VLF and astrometric telescopes should be automatic, long baseline interferometers will probably require human intervention and will thus benefit from a manned lunar base.

Download Full-text

Large-scale microwave cavity search for dark-matter axions

Physical Review D ◽

10.1103/physrevd.64.092003 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 64 (9) ◽

Cited By ~ 95

Author(s):

S. Asztalos ◽

E. Daw ◽

H. Peng ◽

L. J Rosenberg ◽

C. Hagmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Large Scale ◽

Microwave Cavity

Download Full-text

Future directions in the microwave cavity search for dark matter axions

International Journal of Modern Physics A ◽

10.1142/s0217751x14430040 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 29 (19) ◽

pp. 1443004 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

T. M. Shokair ◽

J. Root ◽

K. A. Van Bibber ◽

B. Brubaker ◽

Y. V. Gurevich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Mass Range ◽

Dark Matter Halo ◽

Microwave Cavity ◽

Strong Interactions ◽

Dark Matter Candidate ◽

Test Bed ◽

Technological Advances ◽

Pseudoscalar Particle ◽

Low Mass

The axion is a light pseudoscalar particle which suppresses CP-violating effects in strong interactions and also happens to be an excellent dark matter candidate. Axions constituting the dark matter halo of our galaxy may be detected by their resonant conversion to photons in a microwave cavity permeated by a magnetic field. The current generation of the microwave cavity experiment has demonstrated sensitivity to plausible axion models, and upgrades in progress should achieve the sensitivity required for a definitive search, at least for low mass axions. However, a comprehensive strategy for scanning the entire mass range, from 1–1000 μeV, will require significant technological advances to maintain the needed sensitivity at higher frequencies. Such advances could include sub-quantum-limited amplifiers based on squeezed vacuum states, bolometers, and/or superconducting microwave cavities. The Axion Dark Matter eXperiment at High Frequencies (ADMX-HF) represents both a pathfinder for first data in the 20–100 μeV range (~5–25 GHz), and an innovation test-bed for these concepts.

Download Full-text

Searching for dark matter signals from local dwarf spheroidal galaxies at low radio frequencies in the GLEAM survey

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/staa726 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 494 (1) ◽

pp. 135-145 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R H W Cook ◽

N Seymour ◽

K Spekkens ◽

N Hurley-Walker ◽

P J Hancock ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dark Matter ◽

Massive Particle ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Electromagnetic Spectrum ◽

Radio Sources ◽

Synchrotron Emission ◽

Dark Matter Annihilation ◽

Astrophysical Objects ◽

Radio Frequencies ◽

Murchison Widefield Array

ABSTRACT The search for emission from weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter annihilation and decay has become a multipronged area of research not only targeting a diverse selection of astrophysical objects, but also taking advantage of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The decay of WIMP particles into standard model particles has been suggested as a possible channel for synchrotron emission to be detected at low radio frequencies. Here, we present the stacking analysis of a sample of 33 dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies with low-frequency (72–231 MHz) radio images from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey. We produce radial surface brightness profiles of images centred upon each dSph galaxy with background radio sources masked. We remove 10 fields from the stacking due to contamination from either poorly subtracted, bright radio sources or strong background gradients across the field. The remaining 23 dSph galaxies are stacked in an attempt to obtain a statistical detection of any WIMP-induced synchrotron emission in these systems. We find that the stacked radial brightness profile does not exhibit a statistically significant detection above the 95 per cent confidence level of ∼1.5 mJy beam−1. This novel technique shows the potential of using low-frequency radio images to constrain fundamental properties of particle dark matter.

Download Full-text