Constraining MeV-scale axion-like particles with Fermi-LAT observations of SN 2023ixf

TL;DR

This paper uses Fermi-LAT observations of SN 2023ixf to set new constraints on MeV-scale axion-like particles, improving existing bounds for certain mass ranges and highlighting supernovae as valuable probes of new physics.

Contribution

It provides novel constraints on MeV-scale ALPs using supernova observations, extending the search for ALPs beyond previous limits and emphasizing the importance of supernovae in fundamental physics studies.

Findings

Constraints on ALP-photon coupling improved by up to a factor of 2 for masses below 3 MeV.

Bounds are slightly weaker than existing ones for masses below 0.5 MeV under conservative assumptions.

Supernovae can serve as effective probes for fundamental physics beyond the Magellanic Clouds.

Abstract

The Fermi-LAT observations of SN 2023ixf, a Type II supernova in the nearby Pinwheel Galaxy, Messier 101 (M101), presents us with an excellent opportunity to constrain MeV-scale Axion-Like Particles (ALPs). By examining the photon decay signature from heavy ALPs that could be produced in the explosion, the existing constraints on the ALP-photon coupling can be improved, under optimistic assumptions, by up to a factor of $ \sim 2 $ for masses $ m_a \lesssim 3 $ MeV. Under very conservative assumptions, we find a bound that is slightly weaker than the existing ones for $ m_a \lesssim 0.5$ MeV. The exact reach of these searches depends mostly on properties of the SN progenitor. This study demonstrates the relevance of core-collapse supernovae, also beyond the Magellanic Clouds, as probes of fundamental physics.