Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI

N. J. Ayres; G. Bison; K. Bodek; V. Bondar; T. Bouillaud; E. Chanel; P. J. Chiu; B. Clement; C. B. Crawford; M. Daum; C. B. Doorenbos; S. Emmenegger; M. Fertl; P. Flaux; W. C. Griffith; P. G. Harris; N. Hild; M. Kasprzak; K. Kirch; V. Kletzl; P. A. Koss; J. Krempel; B. Lauss; T. Lefort; P. Mohanmurthy; O. Naviliat-Cuncic; D. Pais; F. M. Piegsa; G. Pignol; M. Rawlik; I. Rienäcker; D. Ries; S. Roccia; D. Rozpedzik; P. Schmidt-Wellenburg; N. Severijns; B. Shen; K. Svirina; R. Tavakoli Dinani; J. A. Thorne; S. Touati; A. Weis; E. Wursten; N. Yazdandoost; J. Zejma; N. Ziehl; G. Zsigmond

doi:10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3

Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI

N. J. Ayres, G. Bison, K. Bodek, V. Bondar, T. Bouillaud, E. Chanel, P. J. Chiu, B. Clement, C. B. Crawford, M. Daum, C. B. Doorenbos, S. Emmenegger, M. Fertl, P. Flaux, W. C. Griffith, P. G. Harris, N. Hild, M. Kasprzak, K. Kirch, V. KletzlP. A. Koss, J. Krempel, B. Lauss, T. Lefort, P. Mohanmurthy, O. Naviliat-Cuncic, D. Pais, F. M. Piegsa, G. Pignol, M. Rawlik, I. Rienäcker, D. Ries, S. Roccia, D. Rozpedzik, P. Schmidt-Wellenburg, N. Severijns, B. Shen, K. Svirina, R. Tavakoli Dinani, J. A. Thorne, S. Touati, A. Weis, E. Wursten, N. Yazdandoost, J. Zejma, N. Ziehl, G. Zsigmond

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Abstract

We report on a search for a new, short-range, spin-dependent interaction using a modified version of the experimental apparatus used to measure the permanent neutron electric dipole moment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. This interaction, which could be mediated by axion-like particles, concerned the unpolarized nucleons (protons and neutrons) near the material surfaces of the apparatus and polarized ultracold neutrons stored in vacuum. The dominant systematic uncertainty resulting from magnetic-field gradients was controlled to an unprecedented level of approximately 4 pT cm⁻¹ using an array of optically-pumped cesium vapor magnetometers and magnetic-field maps independently recorded using a dedicated measurement device. No signature of a theoretically predicted new interaction was found, and we set a new limit on the product of the scalar and the pseudoscalar couplings g s g p λ 2 < 8.3 × 10 − 28 m² (95% C.L.) in a range of 5 µm < λ < 25 mm for the monopole-dipole interaction. This new result confirms and improves our previous limit by a factor of 2.7 and provides the current tightest limit obtained with free neutrons.

Original language	English
Article number	103012
Journal	New Journal of Physics
Volume	25
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3
State	Published - Oct 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of the Institute of Physics and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.

Keywords

axion
axion-like particle
beyond Standard Model physics
dark matter

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

Access to Document

10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3

Cite this

Ayres, N. J., Bison, G., Bodek, K., Bondar, V., Bouillaud, T., Chanel, E., Chiu, P. J., Clement, B., Crawford, C. B., Daum, M., Doorenbos, C. B., Emmenegger, S., Fertl, M., Flaux, P., Griffith, W. C., Harris, P. G., Hild, N., Kasprzak, M., Kirch, K., ... Zsigmond, G. (2023). Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI. New Journal of Physics, 25(10), Article 103012. https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3

@article{3111024b8add454b9e80cad4094f0155,

title = "Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI",

abstract = "We report on a search for a new, short-range, spin-dependent interaction using a modified version of the experimental apparatus used to measure the permanent neutron electric dipole moment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. This interaction, which could be mediated by axion-like particles, concerned the unpolarized nucleons (protons and neutrons) near the material surfaces of the apparatus and polarized ultracold neutrons stored in vacuum. The dominant systematic uncertainty resulting from magnetic-field gradients was controlled to an unprecedented level of approximately 4 pT cm−1 using an array of optically-pumped cesium vapor magnetometers and magnetic-field maps independently recorded using a dedicated measurement device. No signature of a theoretically predicted new interaction was found, and we set a new limit on the product of the scalar and the pseudoscalar couplings g s g p λ 2 < 8.3 × 10 − 28 m2 (95% C.L.) in a range of 5 µm < λ < 25 mm for the monopole-dipole interaction. This new result confirms and improves our previous limit by a factor of 2.7 and provides the current tightest limit obtained with free neutrons.",

keywords = "axion, axion-like particle, beyond Standard Model physics, dark matter",

author = "Ayres, {N. J.} and G. Bison and K. Bodek and V. Bondar and T. Bouillaud and E. Chanel and Chiu, {P. J.} and B. Clement and Crawford, {C. B.} and M. Daum and Doorenbos, {C. B.} and S. Emmenegger and M. Fertl and P. Flaux and Griffith, {W. C.} and Harris, {P. G.} and N. Hild and M. Kasprzak and K. Kirch and V. Kletzl and Koss, {P. A.} and J. Krempel and B. Lauss and T. Lefort and P. Mohanmurthy and O. Naviliat-Cuncic and D. Pais and Piegsa, {F. M.} and G. Pignol and M. Rawlik and I. Rien{\"a}cker and D. Ries and S. Roccia and D. Rozpedzik and P. Schmidt-Wellenburg and N. Severijns and B. Shen and K. Svirina and {Tavakoli Dinani}, R. and Thorne, {J. A.} and S. Touati and A. Weis and E. Wursten and N. Yazdandoost and J. Zejma and N. Ziehl and G. Zsigmond",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of the Institute of Physics and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.",

year = "2023",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3",

language = "English",

volume = "25",

number = "10",

}

Ayres, NJ, Bison, G, Bodek, K, Bondar, V, Bouillaud, T, Chanel, E, Chiu, PJ, Clement, B, Crawford, CB, Daum, M, Doorenbos, CB, Emmenegger, S, Fertl, M, Flaux, P, Griffith, WC, Harris, PG, Hild, N, Kasprzak, M, Kirch, K, Kletzl, V, Koss, PA, Krempel, J, Lauss, B, Lefort, T, Mohanmurthy, P, Naviliat-Cuncic, O, Pais, D, Piegsa, FM, Pignol, G, Rawlik, M, Rienäcker, I, Ries, D, Roccia, S, Rozpedzik, D, Schmidt-Wellenburg, P, Severijns, N, Shen, B, Svirina, K, Tavakoli Dinani, R, Thorne, JA, Touati, S, Weis, A, Wursten, E, Yazdandoost, N, Zejma, J, Ziehl, N & Zsigmond, G 2023, 'Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI', New Journal of Physics, vol. 25, no. 10, 103012. https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3

TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI

AU - Ayres, N. J.

AU - Bison, G.

AU - Bodek, K.

AU - Bondar, V.

AU - Bouillaud, T.

AU - Chanel, E.

AU - Chiu, P. J.

AU - Clement, B.

AU - Crawford, C. B.

AU - Daum, M.

AU - Doorenbos, C. B.

AU - Emmenegger, S.

AU - Fertl, M.

AU - Flaux, P.

AU - Griffith, W. C.

AU - Harris, P. G.

AU - Hild, N.

AU - Kasprzak, M.

AU - Kirch, K.

AU - Kletzl, V.

AU - Koss, P. A.

AU - Krempel, J.

AU - Lauss, B.

AU - Lefort, T.

AU - Mohanmurthy, P.

AU - Naviliat-Cuncic, O.

AU - Pais, D.

AU - Piegsa, F. M.

AU - Pignol, G.

AU - Rawlik, M.

AU - Rienäcker, I.

AU - Ries, D.

AU - Roccia, S.

AU - Rozpedzik, D.

AU - Schmidt-Wellenburg, P.

AU - Severijns, N.

AU - Shen, B.

AU - Svirina, K.

AU - Tavakoli Dinani, R.

AU - Thorne, J. A.

AU - Touati, S.

AU - Weis, A.

AU - Wursten, E.

AU - Yazdandoost, N.

AU - Zejma, J.

AU - Ziehl, N.

AU - Zsigmond, G.

PY - 2023/10

Y1 - 2023/10

N2 - We report on a search for a new, short-range, spin-dependent interaction using a modified version of the experimental apparatus used to measure the permanent neutron electric dipole moment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. This interaction, which could be mediated by axion-like particles, concerned the unpolarized nucleons (protons and neutrons) near the material surfaces of the apparatus and polarized ultracold neutrons stored in vacuum. The dominant systematic uncertainty resulting from magnetic-field gradients was controlled to an unprecedented level of approximately 4 pT cm−1 using an array of optically-pumped cesium vapor magnetometers and magnetic-field maps independently recorded using a dedicated measurement device. No signature of a theoretically predicted new interaction was found, and we set a new limit on the product of the scalar and the pseudoscalar couplings g s g p λ 2 < 8.3 × 10 − 28 m2 (95% C.L.) in a range of 5 µm < λ < 25 mm for the monopole-dipole interaction. This new result confirms and improves our previous limit by a factor of 2.7 and provides the current tightest limit obtained with free neutrons.

AB - We report on a search for a new, short-range, spin-dependent interaction using a modified version of the experimental apparatus used to measure the permanent neutron electric dipole moment at the Paul Scherrer Institute. This interaction, which could be mediated by axion-like particles, concerned the unpolarized nucleons (protons and neutrons) near the material surfaces of the apparatus and polarized ultracold neutrons stored in vacuum. The dominant systematic uncertainty resulting from magnetic-field gradients was controlled to an unprecedented level of approximately 4 pT cm−1 using an array of optically-pumped cesium vapor magnetometers and magnetic-field maps independently recorded using a dedicated measurement device. No signature of a theoretically predicted new interaction was found, and we set a new limit on the product of the scalar and the pseudoscalar couplings g s g p λ 2 < 8.3 × 10 − 28 m2 (95% C.L.) in a range of 5 µm < λ < 25 mm for the monopole-dipole interaction. This new result confirms and improves our previous limit by a factor of 2.7 and provides the current tightest limit obtained with free neutrons.

KW - axion

KW - axion-like particle

KW - beyond Standard Model physics

KW - dark matter

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175401456&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85175401456&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3

DO - 10.1088/1367-2630/acfdc3

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85175401456

SN - 1367-2630

VL - 25

JO - New Journal of Physics

JF - New Journal of Physics

IS - 10

M1 - 103012

ER -

Search for an interaction mediated by axion-like particles with ultracold neutrons at the PSI

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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