Can large scintillators be used for solar-axion searches to test the cosmological axion-photon oscillation proposal?

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the potential of large scintillator detectors like NaI, CsI, and Xe for solar-axion searches, suggesting they could test axion-photon oscillation models explaining distant high-energy photon survival.

Contribution

It provides calculated interaction rates for solar axions in various scintillators and demonstrates their potential sensitivity to axion-photon coupling relevant to cosmological phenomena.

Findings

Large scintillators could detect axion-photon interactions at relevant coupling levels.

Annual modulation signals can be used to identify axion interactions.

DAMAA/LIBRA data supports the feasibility of this detection approach.

Abstract

Solar-axion interaction rates in NaI, CsI and Xe scintillators via the axio-electric effect were calculated. A table is presented with photoelectric and axioelectric cross sections, solar-axion fluxes, and the interaction rates from 2.0 to 10.0 keV. The results imply that annual-modulation data of large NaI and CsI arrays, and large Xe scintillation chambers, might be made sensitive enough to probe coupling to photons at levels required to explain axion-photon oscillation phenomena proposed to explain the survival of high-energy photons traveling cosmological distances. The DAMAA/LIBRA data are used to demonstrate the power of the model-independent annual modulation due to the seasonal variation in the earth sun distance.