Speaker
Description
The Axion is a hypothetical low-mass boson predicted by the Peccei-Quinn mechanism solving the strong CP problem. It is naturally also a cold dark matter candidate, thus, simultaneously solving two major problems of nature. All existing experimental efforts to detect QCD axions focus on a range of axion masses below 20 ueV. The mass range above ~40ueV, preferred by models in which the Peccei-Quinn symmetry was restored after inflation, could not to be explored so far.
The MADMAX project is designed to be sensitive for axions with masses 40ueV – 400 ueV. The experimental design is based on the idea of enhanced axion photon conversion in a system with several layers with alternating dielectric constants.
The experimental idea and the proposed design of the MADMAX experiment will be discussed. First results from measurements with a prototype dielectric haloscope will be discussed. The prospects for reaching sensitivity enough to cover the parameter space predicted for QCD dark matter axions with mass in the range 40-400 ueV will be presented.
