Searching for axion-like particles with SPHEREx

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of the SPHEREx telescope to detect axion-like particles through their decay into photons, focusing on signals from nearby galaxies and aiming to improve existing constraints on ALP properties.

Contribution

It presents a novel analysis of SPHEREx's capability to detect ALPs via decay signals, extending current limits on axion-photon coupling in the near-infrared range.

Findings

SPHEREx can significantly improve current limits on axion-photon coupling.

Detection prospects are analyzed for dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the LMC, and the Milky Way.

The study covers ALP masses between 0.5 and 3 eV.

Abstract

We study prospects to detect axion-like particles (ALPs) with the upcoming near-infrared telescope SPHEREx. The signal under investigation is the ALP decay into two photons. Assuming dark matter (DM) to be in the form of ALPs, we analyze the signal from the DM halos of dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way. We find that SPHEREx can significantly improve current limits on the axion-photon coupling in the 0.5-3 eV ALP mass range.