Probing Axion-Photon Mixing with High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy

Abstract

Axion-like particles (ALPs) provide a compelling avenue for exploring physics beyond the Standard Model. In astrophysical magnetized plasmas an ALP-photon coupling $g_{a\gamma }$ induces energy-dependent oscillations in the photon survival probability that imprint modulations on emission spectra. X-ray observations of bright spectrally-smooth sources can provide particularly sensitive probes of ultralight ALPs with masses $m_a\lesssim 10^{-11}$ eV due to long propagation distances, strong magnetic fields and high photon statistics. We present a comprehensive forecast of ALP-photon conversion in three representative systems: (i) background active galactic nuclei (AGNs) observed through foreground intracluster magnetic fields, (ii) central AGNs within their host cluster halos and (iii) Galactic X-ray binaries viewed through the Milky Way field. Using detailed simulations we assess the prospective sensitivity of high-resolution X-ray missions including XRISM, Athena, and Arcus. For typical magnetic field configurations a 320 ks XRISM observation or an 8 ks Athena observation of the Perseus Cluster AGN NGC 1275 can reach down to $g_{a\gamma }\sim 5\times 10^{-13}$ GeV${}^{-1}$ at $m_a\lesssim 10^{-12}$ eV, surpassing the current best limit. We quantify the impact of magnetic field modeling, photon statistics, and spectral binning strategies. Our results demonstrate the scientific potential of future X-ray observatories to probe photon-ALP coupling in previously inaccessible parameter space, offering a powerful window into physics beyond the Standard Model.

arXiv comment16 pages, 10 figures