Atomic Form Factors and Inverse Primakoff Scattering of Axion

TL;DR

This paper reevaluates the inverse Primakoff scattering cross section of axions using a relativistic Hartree-Fock form factor, revealing significant overestimations in previous models for low-energy axions and highlighting the importance of inelastic processes.

Contribution

It provides a more accurate calculation of axion scattering cross sections considering atomic structure, especially for low-energy axions, and discusses implications for supernova axion detection.

Findings

Overestimation of cross section by more than an order of magnitude for sub-10 keV axions.

Inelastic scattering processes can be dominant at low momentum transfer.

Approximately one inverse Primakoff event expected from a nearby supernova for 10-100 MeV axions.

Abstract

We reexamine the inverse Primakoff scattering of axions, whose scattering cross section depends on the distribution of electrons in target atoms. We evaluate it using a form factor computed with a relativistic Hartree-Fock wave function and compare it with the previous results obtained with those based on the screened Coulomb potential for the electrostatic field in the atom. We take xenon as an example for the target atom and show that the scattering cross section was overestimated by more than an order of magnitude for axions with $\lesssim O(10)$ keV energies, like solar axions. It is also found that inelastic scattering processes, in which the final state contains an excited or ionized atom, can be comparable or even be dominant when the size of momentum transfer is $\lesssim 1$ keV. For more energetic axions, on the other hand, the total scattering cross section is found to be well approximated by a simple expression and has little dependence on the atomic structure. As an application of this result, we consider supernova axions, whose energy is 10-100 MeV, and show that $O(1)$ inverse Primakoff events are expected for axions from a nearby supernova in the future neutrino experiments, which may warrant a more detailed study on the search strategy of this process.