Detecting Axion-like Dark Matter with Linearly Polarized Pulsar Light

Abstract

Non-relativistic QCD axions or axion-like particles are among the most popular candidates for cold Dark Matter (DM) in the universe. We proposed to detect axion-like DM, using linearly polarized pulsar light as a probe. Because of birefringence effect potentially caused by an oscillating galactic axion DM background, when pulsar light travels across the galaxy, its linear polarization angle may vary with time. With a soliton+NFW galactic DM density profile, we show that this strategy can potentially probe an axion-photon coupling as small as $\sim 10^{-13}$ GeV${}^{-1}$ for axion mass $m_a\sim 10^{-22}-10^{-20}$ eV, given the current measurement accuracy. An exclusion limit stronger than CAST ($\sim 10^{-10}$ GeV${}^{-1}$) and SN1987A ($\sim 10^{-11}$ GeV${}^{-1}$) could be extended up to $m_a\sim 10^{-18}$ eV and $\sim 10^{-19}$ eV, respectively.

6 pages, 1 figure; calculation corrected, main conclusions unchanged, references added

References in corpus (18)

• Ultralight scalars as cosmological dark matter
• New CAST Limit on the Axion-Photon Interaction
• Cosmic Structure as the Quantum Interference of a Coherent Dark Wave
• Bose-Einstein Condensation of Dark Matter Axions
• A search for ultra-light axions using precision cosmological data
• Revisiting the SN1987A gamma-ray limit on ultralight axion-like particles
• Search for axion-like dark matter through nuclear spin precession in electric and magnetic fields
• Galaxy UV-luminosity function and reionization constraints on axion dark matter
• Rotation of Linear Polarization Plane and Circular Polarization from Cosmological Pseudoscalar Fields
• Optical Ring Cavity Search for Axion Dark Matter
• Parkes Pulsar Timing Array constraints on ultralight scalar-field dark matter
• Pseudoscalar perturbations and polarization of the cosmic microwave background
• Recognising Axionic Dark Matter by Compton and de-Broglie Scale Modulation of Pulsar Timing
• Rotation and Mass in the Milky Way and Spiral Galaxies
• Black hole superradiance and polarization-dependent bending of light
• Analysis of Determinations of the Distance between the Sun and the Galactic Center
• Axion-like Dark Matter Constraints from CMB Birefringence
• Searching for substellar companions of young isolated neutron stars

Cited by in corpus (35)

• Wave Dark Matter
• Stringent axion constraints with Event Horizon Telescope polarimetric measurements of M87${}^{\star }$
• Axi-Higgs Cosmology
• Testing the ALP-photon coupling with polarization measurements of Sagittarius A*
• Pulsar Polarization Arrays
• BICEP / Keck XIV: Improved constraints on axion-like polarization oscillations in the cosmic microwave background
• Probing angle of birefringence due to long range axion hair from pulsars
• Cosmological Tension of Ultralight Axion Dark Matter and its Solutions
• Gravitational waves and neutrino oscillations in Chern-Simons axion gravity
• Searching for axion-like particles under strong gravitational lenses
• Birefringence Tomography for Axion Cloud
• Searching for dark-matter waves with PPTA and QUIJOTE pulsar polarimetry
• Detecting Axion Dark Matter with Black Hole Polarimetry
• Constraints on axionic fuzzy dark matter from light bending and Shapiro time delay
• Constraints on axion-like polarization oscillations in the cosmic microwave background with POLARBEAR
• First results of the Laser-Interferometric Detector for Axions (LIDA)
• BICEP / Keck XII: Constraints on axion-like polarization oscillations in the cosmic microwave background
• Gravitational Waves and Possible Fast Radio Bursts from Axion Clumps
• Probing Axions via Light Circular Polarization and Event Horizon Telescope
• Enhanced Early Galaxy Formation in JWST from Axion Dark Matter?
• Signals of Axion Like Dark Matter in Time Dependent Polarization of Light
• Exploration of the polarization angle variability of the Crab Nebula with POLARBEAR and its application to the search for axion-like particles
• Measuring axion gradients with photon interferometry (MAGPI)
• New insights into axion freeze-in
• Hunting Galactic Axion Dark Matter with Gravitationally Lensed Fast Radio Bursts
• Prospects for Axion Dark Matter Searches at LISA-like Interferometers
• Axion Cloud Decay due to the Axion-photon Conversion with Background Magnetic Fields
• Cosmic Birefringence from CP-Violating Axion Interactions
• Detecting Extragalactic Axion-like Dark Matter with Polarization Measurements of Fast Radio Bursts
• Axion sourcing in dense stellar matter via CP-violating couplings
• Pulsar timing and polarimetry: results and perspectives
• Pulsar Polarization Array Limits on Ultralight Axion-like Dark Matter
• Constraints on Axions from Cosmic Distance Measurements
• Probing Ultralight Axion-like Dark Matter: A Pulsar Timing Arrays-Pulsar Polarization Arrays Synergy
• Detectability of axion-like dark matter for different time-delay interferometry combinations in space-based gravitational wave detectors