Detecting dilute axion stars constrained by fast radio bursts in the Solar System via stimulated decay

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to detect dilute axion stars within the Solar System by stimulating their decay with radio beams, which could confirm their role in dark matter and explain fast radio bursts, or constrain their abundance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel detection technique for dilute axion stars using stimulated decay triggered by radio beams, constrained by FRB observations.

Findings

Maximum detectable axion star masses range from 6.21×10⁻¹² to 2.61×10⁻¹⁰ solar masses.

Detected echoes could confirm axion stars as dark matter components and explain some FRBs.

Non-detection would place new limits on axion star abundance in the Solar System.

Abstract

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) can be explained by collapsing axion stars, imposing constraints on the axion parameter space and providing valuable guidance for experimental axion searches. In the traditional post-inflationary model, axion stars could constitute up to $75\%$ of the dark matter component, suggesting that some axion stars may exist within the Solar System. Photons with energy half the axion mass can stimulate axion decay. Thus, directing a powerful radio beam at an axion star could trigger its stimulated decay, producing a detectable echo. Using this method, we find it is possible to test the existence of dilute axion stars with maximum masses ranging from $6.21\times10^{-12}M_\odot$ to $2.61\times10^{-10}M_\odot$, as constrained by FRBs, within the Solar System. The resulting echo from axion stars constrained by FRBs could be detectable by terrestrial telescopes. Detecting such an echo would confirm the existence of axion stars, unravel the mystery of dark matter, and provide key evidence that some FRBs originate from collapsing axion stars. Furthermore, FRBs produced by axion star collapses could serve as standard candles, aiding in the resolution of the Hubble tension. If no echo is detected using this method, it would place constraints on the abundance of dark matter in the form of dilute axion stars with maximum masses in the range of $6.21\times10^{-12}M_\odot$ to $2.61\times10^{-10}M_\odot$.