Solar axion search and research in the CAST experiment
by
Juan Pascual
→
Asia/Shanghai
Description
Axions are well motivated particles proposed in an extension of the Standard Model (SM) as a solution of the so-called strong CP problem. Moreover, axions are attractive candidates to solve the Dark Matter problem. CAST, the CERN Axion Telescope has been looking for axions by exploiting the helioscope technique. The analysis of the data of the Micromegas detectors at CAST has been studied and a coupling limit has been derived using an unbinned likelihood method extending the axion searches for axion masses up to 1.17 eV. Moreover, the use of low-background techniques has led to the reduction of the background level of the Micromegas detectors at CAST, the state-of-art in low background techniques will be presented. These improvements have led to a reduction of the background in a factor ~6 that can be translated into an increase of the sensitivity of CAST to solar axions in a factor ~2. Beyond CAST, a new generation axion helioscope has been proposed, IAXOThe International Axion Observatory that will surpass CAST sensitivity in more than one order of magnitude. IAXO will require ultralow background detectors, at least one order of magnitude below the level currently reached, the R&D activities for lowering the background in a IAXO-D0 prototype will be described.