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Limits to the radiative decay of the axion
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Ressell, M. Ted |
| Copyright Year | 1991 |
| Description | An axion with a mass greater than 1 eV should be detectable through its decay into two photons. The astrophysical and cosmological limits which define a small window of allowed axion mass above 3 eV are discussed. A firm upper bound to the axion's mass of M(sub a) less than or equal to 8 eV is derived by considering the effect of decaying axions upon the diffuse extragalactic background radiation and the brightness of the night sky due to axions in the halo of the Milky Way galaxy. The intergalactic light of clusters of galaxies is shown to be an ideal place to search for an emission line arising from the radiative decay of axions. An unsuccessful search for this emission line in three clusters of galaxies is then detailed. Limits to the presence of any intracluster line emission are derived with the result that axions with masses between 3 and 8 eV are excluded by the data, effectively closing this window of axion mass, unless a severe cancellation of axionic decay amplitudes occurs. The intracluster flux limits are then used to constrain the amplitude of any such model dependence. |
| File Size | 2260355 |
| Page Count | 44 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19910021602 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t9c58hn3m |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1991-07-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Atomic And Molecular Physics Astrophysics Diffuse Radiation Photons Radioactive Decay Galactic Clusters Halos Emission Spectra Milky Way Galaxy Elementary Particles Cosmology Night Sky Line Spectra Background Radiation Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
