Discovering Axions with X-Ray Searches Towards Magnetic White Dwarfs
Abstract
Axions, which are hypothetical ultra-light particles, are a well-motivated extension to the Standard Model of particle physics. White dwarf (WD) stars may radiate keV-energy axions produced in their stellar cores. This has been studied as a channel by which WDs may cool, with some analyses suggesting that axions can help explain the WD luminosity function. The radiated axions may convert into X-rays in the magnetic fields surrounding magnetic WDs (MWDs). We propose two 40 ks observations of the MWDs WD 1859+148 and PG 0945+246. In the absence of axions we will set the strongest limits to-date on the axion coupling strength and disfavor nearly all of the parameter space for axions predicted by string theory.
- Publication:
-
Chandra Proposal
- Pub Date:
- September 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022cxo..prop.6279S
- Keywords:
-
- Chandra Proposal ID #24200244