White Dwarfs as Axion Probes

24 Aug 2021, 22:50
20m
ZR5

ZR5

Dark Matter and Astroparticle Physics Dark Matter and Astroparticle Physics

Speaker

Christopher Dessert (University of Michigan)

Description

Axions, if they exist, can be produced efficiently in white dwarfs, free-stream out of the star due to their weak interactions with matter, and then be converted to a photon in the stellar magnetosphere. X-ray telescope observations of these stars can provide strong constraints on the coupling to electromagnetism and matter. I discuss the results of the first dedicated observation of a magnetic white dwarf in hard X-rays, and what it tells us about axions.

Primary author

Christopher Dessert (University of Michigan)

Presentation materials