A
bstract
RADES (Relic Axion Detector Exploratory Setup) is a project with the goal of directly searching for axion dark matter above the 30
μ
eV scale employing custom-made microwave filters in ...magnetic dipole fields. Currently RADES is taking data at the LHC dipole of the CAST experiment. In the long term, the RADES cavities are envisioned to take data in the BabyIAXO magnet. In this article we report on the modelling, building and characterisation of an optimised microwave-filter design with alternating irises that exploits maximal coupling to axions while being scalable in length without suffering from mode-mixing. We develop the mathematical formalism and theoretical study which justifies the performance of the chosen design. We also point towards the applicability of this formalism to optimise the MADMAX dielectric haloscopes.
The axion is a hypothetical particle which is a candidate for cold dark matter. Haloscope experiments directly search for these particles in strong magnetic fields with RF cavities as detectors. The ...Relic Axion Detector Exploratory Setup (RADES) at CERN in particular is searching for axion dark matter in a mass range above 30 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">\mu</tex-math></inline-formula>eV. The figure of merit of our detector depends linearly on the quality factor of the cavity and therefore we are researching the possibility of coating our cavities with different superconducting materials to increase the quality factor. Since the experiment operates in strong magnetic fields of 11 T and more, superconductors with high critical magnetic fields are necessary. Suitable materials for this application are for example REBa<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">_2</tex-math></inline-formula>Cu<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">_3</tex-math></inline-formula>O<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">_{7-x}</tex-math></inline-formula>, Nb<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">_3</tex-math></inline-formula>Sn or NbN. We designed a microwave cavity which resonates at around 9 GHz, with a geometry optimized to facilitate superconducting coating and designed to fit in the bore of available high-field accelerator magnets at CERN. Several prototypes of this cavity were coated with different superconducting materials, employing different coating techniques. These prototypes were characterized in strong magnetic fields at 4.2 K.
Non-perturbative measurements of low-intensity charged particle beams are particularly challenging to beam diagnostics due to the low amplitude of the induced electromagnetic fields. In the ...low-energy antiproton decelerator (AD) and the future extra low energy antiproton rings at CERN, an absolute measurement of the beam intensity is essential to monitor the operation efficiency. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) based cryogenic current comparators (CCC) have been used for measuring slow charged beams in the nA range, showing a very good current resolution. But these were unable to measure fast bunched beams, due to the slew-rate limitation of SQUID devices and presented a strong susceptibility to external perturbations. Here, we present a CCC system developed for the AD machine, which was optimised in terms of its current resolution, system stability, ability to cope with short bunched beams, and immunity to mechanical vibrations. This paper presents the monitor design and the first results from measurements with a low energy antiproton beam obtained in the AD in 2015. These are the first CCC beam current measurements ever performed in a synchrotron machine with both coasting and short bunched beams. It is shown that the system is able to stably measure the AD beam throughout the entire cycle, with a current resolution of 30 nA .
The electromagnetic coupling axion–photon in a microwave cavity is revisited with the Boundary Integral-Resonant Mode Expansion (BI-RME) 3D technique. Such full-wave modal technique has been applied ...for the rigorous analysis of the excitation of a microwave cavity with an axion field. In this scenario, the electromagnetic field generated by the axion–photon coupling can be assumed to be driven by equivalent electrical charge and current densities. These densities have been inserted in the general BI-RME 3D equations, which express the RF electromagnetic field existing within a cavity as an integral involving the Dyadic Green’s functions of the cavity (under Coulomb gauge) as well as such densities. This method is able to take into account any arbitrary spatial and temporal variation of both magnitude and phase of the axion field. Next, we have obtained a simple network driven by the axion current source, which represents the coupling between the axion field and the resonant modes of the cavity. With this approach, it is possible to calculate the extracted and dissipated RF power as a function of frequency along a broad band and without Cauchy–Lorentz approximations, obtaining the spectrum of the electromagnetic field generated in the cavity, and dealing with modes relatively close to the axion resonant mode. Moreover, with this technique we have a complete knowledge of the signal extracted from the cavity, not only in magnitude but also in phase. This can be an interesting issue for future analysis where the axion phase is an important parameter.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The thermal conductivity and diffusivity across a combination of metallic and insulating layers are important thermodynamic input parameters for cooling studies of composite materials or assemblies ...built out of layers of different electrical and thermal conductivity. The dynamic response of such thermal contacts across electrically insulating layers can be expressed in terms of a diffusivity-like value, which is giving insight on the interface thermal resistance. A two-stage cryocooler based test stand is used to measure the thermal conductance of samples. Variable base temperatures of the experimental platform at the cryocooler allow for steady-state and transient heat flux measurements up to 30 K. This paper describes the measurement methodology applied to such kind of non-uniform sample compositions, especially the frequency dependence of the diffusivity values is discussed.
In the framework of the AEgIS project a series of steady state and dynamic heat transfer measurements at ultra-low temperatures was conducted in the Central Cryogenic Laboratory at CERN. Two sandwich ...setups, simulating the behaviour of ultra-cold AEgIS electrodes, were investigated and compared, namely: a sapphire - indium - copper and a sapphire - titanium - gold - indium - copper sandwich. The total thermal resistivity of both sandwich setups was evaluated as a function of the influence of normal and superconducting thin layers and multiple dielectric - metallic interfaces in terms of Kapitza resistance. The resulting limitations of the electrode's design are presented.
Abstract
The CAST-CAPP axion haloscope, operating at CERN inside the CAST dipole magnet, has searched for axions in the 19.74
μ
eV to 22.47
μ
eV mass range. The detection concept follows the ...Sikivie haloscope principle, where Dark Matter axions convert into photons within a resonator immersed in a magnetic field. The CAST-CAPP resonator is an array of four individual rectangular cavities inserted in a strong dipole magnet, phase-matched to maximize the detection sensitivity. Here we report on the data acquired for 4124 h from 2019 to 2021. Each cavity is equipped with a fast frequency tuning mechanism of 10 MHz/ min between 4.774 GHz and 5.434 GHz. In the present work, we exclude axion-photon couplings for virialized galactic axions down to
g
a
γ
γ
= 8 × 10
−14
GeV
−1
at the 90% confidence level. The here implemented phase-matching technique also allows for future large-scale upgrades.
A
bstract
This article describes BabyIAXO, an intermediate experimental stage of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), proposed to be sited at DESY. IAXO is a large-scale axion helioscope that ...will look for axions and axion-like particles (ALPs), produced in the Sun, with unprecedented sensitivity. BabyIAXO is conceived to test all IAXO subsystems (magnet, optics and detectors) at a relevant scale for the final system and thus serve as prototype for IAXO, but at the same time as a fully-fledged helioscope with relevant physics reach itself, and with potential for discovery. The BabyIAXO magnet will feature two 10 m long, 70 cm diameter bores, and will host two detection lines (optics and detector) of dimensions similar to the final ones foreseen for IAXO. BabyIAXO will detect or reject solar axions or ALPs with axion-photon couplings down to
g
aγ
∼ 1
.
5 × 10
−
11
GeV
−
1
, and masses up to
m
a
∼ 0
.
25 eV. BabyIAXO will offer additional opportunities for axion research in view of IAXO, like the development of precision x-ray detectors to identify particular spectral features in the solar axion spectrum, and the implementation of radiofrequency-cavity-based axion dark matter setups.
A
bstract
We present results of the Relic Axion Dark-Matter Exploratory Setup (RADES), a detector which is part of the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST), searching for axion dark matter in the 34.67
...μ
eV mass range. A radio frequency cavity consisting of 5 sub-cavities coupled by inductive irises took physics data inside the CAST dipole magnet for the first time using this filter-like haloscope geometry. An exclusion limit with a 95% credibility level on the axion-photon coupling constant of g
aγ
≳ 4 × 10
−
13
GeV
−
1
over a mass range of 34
.
6738
μ
eV
< m
a
<
34
.
6771
μ
eV is set. This constitutes a significant improvement over the current strongest limit set by CAST at this mass and is at the same time one of the most sensitive direct searches for an axion dark matter candidate above the mass of 25
μ
eV. The results also demonstrate the feasibility of exploring a wider mass range around the value probed by CAST-RADES in this work using similar coherent resonant cavities.
We describe the results of a haloscope axion search performed with an 11.7 T dipole magnet at CERN. The search used a custom-made radio-frequency cavity coated with high-temperature superconducting ...tape. A set of 27 h of data at a resonant frequency of around 8.84 GHz was analysed. In the range of axion mass 36.5676 \(\mu\)eV to 36.5699 \(\mu\)eV, corresponding to a width of 554 kHz, no signal excess hinting at an axion-like particle was found. Correspondingly, in this mass range, a limit on the axion to photon coupling-strength was set in the range between g\(_{a\gamma}\gtrsim\) 6.2e-13 GeV\(^{-1}\) and g\(_{a\gamma}\gtrsim\) 1.54e-13 GeV\(^{-1}\) with a 95% confidence level.
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