Alpenglow - A Signature for Chameleons in Axion-Like Particle Search Experiments

Abstract

We point out that chameleon field theories might reveal themselves as an 'afterglow' effect in axion-like particle search experiments due to chameleon-photon conversion in a magnetic field. We estimate the parameter space which is accessible by currently available technology and find that afterglow experiments could constrain this parameter space in a way complementary to gravitational and Casimir force experiments.In addition, one could reach photon-chameleon couplings which are beyond the sensitivity of common laser polarization experiments. We also sketch the idea of a Fabry-Perot cavity with chameleons which could increase the experimental sensitivity significantly.

17 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (5)

• New PVLAS results and limits on magnetically induced optical rotation and ellipticity in vacuum
• Compatibility of the chameleon-field model with fifth-force experiments, cosmology, and PVLAS and CAST results
• Detecting Chameleons through Casimir Force Measurements
• Testing Chameleon Theories with Light Propagating through a Magnetic Field
• Hidden in the Light: Magnetically Induced Afterglow from Trapped Chameleon Fields

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Laser experiments explore the hidden sector
• New Experimental limit on Optical Photon Coupling to Neutral, Scalar Bosons
• Search for photon oscillations into massive particles
• Revisiting chameleon gravity - thin-shells and no-shells with appropriate boundary conditions
• Testing Chameleon models in the laboratory