Heavy axion-like particles and core-collapse supernovae: constraints and impact on the explosion mechanism

Abstract

Heavy axion-like particles (ALPs), with masses ma ≳ 100 keV, coupled with photons, would be copiously produced in a supernova (SN) core via Primakoff process and photon coalescence. Using a state-of-the-art SN model, we revisit the energy-loss SN 1987A bounds on axion-photon coupling. Moreover, we point out that heavy ALPs with masses ma ≳ 100 MeV and axion-photon coupling gaγ ≳ 4 × 10−9 GeV−1 would decay into photons behind the shock-wave producing a possible enhancement in the energy deposition that would boost the SN shock revival.

Supernova constraints on an axion-photon-dark photon interaction

“…Since SN1987A, cooling arguments have been used to constrain axions [7][8][9][10], CP even scalars [11], dark photons [12][13][14], sterile neutrinos [15], extra dimensions [16], and supersymmetry [17]. In the process of deriving these bounds, it was slowly realized that many important effects and features were not initially properly accounted for.…”

Running in the ALPs

“…[38][39][40]. Searches for ALPs produced from the blackbody photons in the solar core [41] and in other astrophysical events [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] have been performed too. ALP searches in flavour experiments have been studied recently in Refs.…”

SUSY-breaking scenarios with a mildly violated $$\varvec{R}$$ symmetry

“…[38,39]. The possibly problematic, from astrophysical point of view [40][41][42][43][44], (pseudo) Nambu-Goldstone boson named R axion [33] may acquire acceptably large mass by mildly violating the R symmetry in K H without any impact either to the minimization of the SUGRA potential or to the values of the SSB parameters.…”