On detecting oscillations of gamma rays into axion-like particles in turbulent and coherent magnetic fields

Abstract

Background radiation fields pervade the Universe, and above a certain energy any $\gamma$-ray flux emitted by an extragalactic source should be attenuated due to $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ pair production. The opacity could be alleviated if photons oscillated into hypothetical axion-like particles (ALPs) in ambient magnetic fields, leading to a $\gamma$-ray excess especially at high optical depths that could be detected with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). Here, we introduce a method to search for such a signal in $\gamma$-ray data and to estimate sensitivities for future observations. Different magnetic fields close to the $\gamma$-ray source are taken into account in which photons can convert into ALPs that then propagate unimpeded over cosmological distances until they re-convert in the magnetic field of the Milky Way. Specifically, we consider the coherent field at parsec scales in a blazar jet as well as the turbulent field inside a galaxy cluster. For the latter, we explicitly derive the transversal components of a magnetic field with gaussian turbulence which are responsible for the photon-ALP mixing. To illustrate the method, we apply it to a mock IACT array with characteristics similar to the Cherenkov Telescope Array and investigate the dependence of the sensitivity to detect a $\gamma$-ray excess on the magnetic-field parameters.

31 pages, 9 figures. Published in JCAP

References in corpus (19)

• Observations of the Crab Nebula with H.E.S.S
• The power of blazar jets
• Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays from a Distant Quasar: How Transparent Is the Universe?
• The Imprint of The Extragalactic Background Light in the Gamma-Ray Spectra of Blazars
• Evidence for a new light spin-zero boson from cosmological gamma-ray propagation?
• The Milky Way as a Kiloparsec-Scale Axionscope
• Hints of the existence of Axion-Like-Particles from the gamma-ray spectra of cosmological sources
• Detecting Axion-Like Particles With Gamma Ray Telescopes
• Magnetic Field Seeding by Galactic Winds
• The Quest for an Intermediate-Scale Accidental Axion and Further ALPs
• Formation of hard VHE gamma-ray spectra of blazars due to internal photon-photon absorption
• Signatures of axion-like particles in the spectra of TeV gamma-ray sources
• Magnetic Fields in the Center of the Perseus Cluster
• Structures of the magnetoionic media around the FR I radio galaxies 3C 31 and Hydra A
• Axion cold dark matter in view of BICEP2 results
• Detection of VHE radiation from the BL Lac PG 1553+113 with the MAGIC telescope
• Evidence for VHE Gamma-ray Emission from the Distant BL Lac PG 1553+113
• Irregularity in gamma ray source spectra as a signature of axionlike particles
• The Environments of Low and High Luminosity Radio Galaxies at Moderate Redshifts

Cited by in corpus (40)

• Physics potential of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)
• New constraints on light Axion-Like Particles using Chandra Transmission Grating Spectroscopy of the powerful cluster-hosted quasar H1821+643
• The Gamma-Ray Window to Intergalactic Magnetism
• Limits on axion-like particles from Mrk 421 with 4.5-year period observations by ARGO-YBJ and Fermi-LAT
• Observability of the very-high-energy emission from GRB 221009A
• Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to the detection of axion-like particles at high gamma-ray opacities
• Axion-like Particles Implications for High-Energy Astrophysics
• Turbulent axion-photon conversions in the Milky-Way
• Gamma-ray Cosmology and Tests of Fundamental Physics
• Relevance of jet magnetic field structure for blazar axionlike particle searches
• On the origin and the detection of characteristic axion wiggles in photon spectra
• ALP induced polarization effects on photons from galaxy clusters
• Constraining axion-like particles with the diffuse gamma-ray flux measured by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory
• Photon-ALP oscillations inducing modifications to photon polarization
• Effect of axion-like particles on the spectrum of the extragalactic gamma-ray background
• Photon-ALP interaction as a measure of initial photon polarization
• Can one-zone hadronuclear model explain the hard-TeV spectrum of BL Lac objects?
• Constraints on Axion-like Particles from the Observation of GRB 221009A by LHAASO
• Reconciling hints on axion-like-particles from high-energy gamma rays with stellar bounds
• Implications of photon-ALP oscillations in the extragalactic neutrino source TXS 0506+056 at sub-PeV energies
• Constraints on Axion-like Particles from Observations of Mrk 421 using the $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{L}}_{\mathrm{s}}$ Method
• Probing $\mu$eV ALPs with future LHAASO observation of AGN $\gamma$-ray spectra
• Axion-Like Particle Searches with IACTs
• Relevance of VHE Blazar Spectra Models with Axion-Like Particles
• A possible blazar spectral irregularity case caused by photon--axionlike-particle oscillations
• Axion-like Particle Effects on Photon Polarization in High-Energy Astrophysics
• Probing photon-ALP oscillations from the MAGIC observations of FSRQ QSO B1420+326
• Magnetohydrodynamics predicts heavy-tailed distributions of axion-photon conversion
• Optical circular polarization induced by axionlike particles in blazars
• Constraints on Axion-like Particles from the gamma-ray observation of the Galactic Center
• Annual-modulation fingerprint of the axion wind induced sideband triplet in quantum dot spin qubit sensors
• Constraints on Axion-Like Particles from VERITAS Observations of a Flaring Radio Galaxy in the Perseus Cluster
• Strong gravitational lensing of blazar gamma-radiation and intergalactic magnetic fields
• Probing the Axion-Nucleon Coupling with Supergiant Stars
• Constraints on axion-like particles from ultra-high-energy observations of M87 with the HAWC observatory
• Constraints on axionlike particles from 16.5 years of Fermi-LAT data and prospects for VLAST
• First constraints on axion-like particles from Galactic sub-PeV gamma rays
• X-ray polarimetric features of Gamma-ray Bursts across varied redshifts and hints for Axion-Like-Particles
• Projected sensitivity of CTAO to axion-like particles from blazars with a machine learning approach
• How do Magnetic Field Models Affect Astrophysical Limits on Light Axion-like Particles? An X-ray Case Study with NGC 1275