7–11 Jul 2025
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
Registration open until 20 May 2025

Looking for axion decay around a black hole

Not scheduled
2h 50m
Solomon Mahlangu House (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg)

Solomon Mahlangu House

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Poster Presentation Track D1 - Astrophysics Poster Session

Speaker

Javeria Makda (PhD Student - Wits University)

Description

In this work, we aim to compute the radio flux from the decay of axions close to Saggitarius A, the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. These particles can undergo stimulated decay in the presence of photons with energies of half the axion mass. We make use of an observed spectrum for Sgr A emission in the frequency range of SKA and the VLBA, to find the effect of stimulated decay on a range of axion masses. We also follow recent studies that indicate the existence of a dark matter spike near the black hole to boost the observed flux. These quantities are used in the computation of the predicted axion flux and in obtaining limits on the axion coupling as a function of axion mass that would result from a non-observation of an axion line via VLBI.

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Primary author

Geoff Beck (University of the Witwatersrand)

Co-author

Javeria Makda (PhD Student - Wits University)

Presentation materials

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