Preprint article · Journal article
The Next Generation of Axion Helioscopes: The International Axion Observatory (IAXO)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory1
National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark2
Astrophysics, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark3
Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark4
Neutrons and X-rays for Materials Physics, Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark5
Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Saclay6
University of South Carolina7
CERN8
University of Trieste9
University of Zaragoza10
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory11
Dogus University12
University of Haifa13
...and 3 moreThe International Axion Observatory (IAXO) is a proposed 4th-generation axion helioscope with the primary physics research goal to search for solar axions via their Primakoff conversion into photons of 1 – 10 keV energies in a strong magnetic field. IAXO will achieve a sensitivity to the axion-photon coupling gaγ down to a few ×10−12 GeV−1 for a wide range of axion masses up to ∼ 0.25eV.
This is an improvement over the currently best (3rd generation) axion helioscope, the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST), of about 5 orders of magnitude in signal strength, corresponding to a factor ∼ 20 in the axion photon coupling. IAXO's sensitivity relies on the construction of a large superconducting 8-coil toroidal magnet of 20 m length optimized for axion research.
Each of the eight 60cm diameter magnet bores is equipped with x-ray optics focusing the signal photons into ∼ 0.2cm2 spots that are imaged by very low background x-ray detectors. The magnet will be built into a structure with elevation and azimuth drives that will allow solar tracking for 12hours each day.
This contribution is a summary of our papers [1–3] and we refer to these for further details.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2015 |
Pages: | 193-200 |
ISSN: | 18753884 and 18753892 |
Types: | Preprint article and Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.phpro.2014.12.031 |
ORCIDs: | Christensen, Finn Erland |