Axions and other (Super-)WISPs

TL;DR

This paper discusses the motivations, constraints, and experimental prospects for detecting axions and other WISPs through laboratory searches and astrophysical observations, highlighting future experiments involving photon oscillations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the motivations, current constraints, and future experimental approaches for detecting axions and WISPs, emphasizing laboratory methods and photon oscillation effects.

Findings

Laboratory searches offer complementary, less model-dependent probes.

Astrophysical constraints are strong but can be bypassed by laboratory experiments.

Future experiments may detect photon oscillation effects in hidden photon scenarios.

Abstract

We present some bottom-up motivations of axions and other weakly interacting sub-eV particles (WISPs) coupling to photons. Typically, these light particles are strongly constrained by their production or interaction in astrophysical and cosmological environments. Dedicated laboratory searches can provide complementary probes that are mostly less sensitive but also less model-dependent. We briefly comment on future experiments with the potential to discover photon oscillation effects in kinetic mixing scenarios with massive hidden photons.