PT Journal
AU Caputo, A
   Regis, M
   Taoso, M
   Witte, SJ
TI Detecting the stimulated decay of axions at radio frequencies
SO Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
JI J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
PY 2019
BP 027
EP 22pp
VL 03
IS 3
DI 10.1088/1475-7516/2019/03/027
LA English
DE axions; dark matter theory; dark matter detectors; dwarfs galaxies
AB Assuming axion-like particles account for the entirety of the dark matter in the Universe, we study the possibility of detecting their decay into photons at radio frequencies. We discuss different astrophysical targets, such as dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the Galactic Center and halo, and galaxy clusters. The presence of an ambient radiation field leads to a stimulated enhancement of the decay rate; depending on the environment and the mass of the axion, the effect of stimulated emission may amplify the photon flux by serval orders of magnitude. For axion-photon couplings allowed by astrophysical and laboratory constraints (and possibly favored by stellar cooling), we find the signal to be within the reach of next-generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometer Array.
ER