Searching for Axion-like Particles with Active Galactic Nuclei

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new method to detect axion-like particles by analyzing luminosity scatter in active galactic nuclei caused by photon-axion mixing in galaxy cluster magnetic fields, providing evidence for their existence.

Contribution

It introduces a novel observational test for axion-like particles using AGN luminosity data, suggesting their existence based on astrophysical evidence.

Findings

Luminosity scatter in AGN can indicate photon-axion mixing.

The test applied to data strongly suggests the presence of a light axion-like particle.

Provides a new astrophysical approach to search for axion-like particles.

Abstract

Strong mixing between photons and axion-like particles in the magnetic fields of clusters of galaxies induces a scatter in the observed luminosities of compact sources in the cluster. This is used to construct a new test for axion-like particles; applied to observations of active galactic nuclei it is strongly suggestive of the existence of a light axion-like particle.