{
  "abstract": "A search is performed for the production of axion-like particles with masses in the range 3-10 GeV using PbPb collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $0.228~\\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ and a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of $\\sqrt{s_{\\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV. This is the first search for axion-like particles produced exclusively by two photons ($γγ\\to a\\toγγ$) in the forward direction. It extends sensitivity to previously unexplored regions of the parameter space, probing axion-like particle masses and couplings down to 3.0 GeV and $3.2\\times10^{-4}~\\mathrm{GeV}^{-1}$, respectively. This result provides the most stringent limits to date on the production of axion-like particles from exclusive photon-photon fusion processes with masses between 3 and 5 GeV.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2611.00135",
  "author_total": 1191,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "LHCb collaboration"
    },
    {
      "name": "R. Aaij"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Abdelfatah"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. S. W. Abdelmotteleb"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Abellan Beteta"
    },
    {
      "name": "F. Abudinén"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. Ackernley"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. A. Adefisoye"
    },
    {
      "name": "B. Adeva"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Adinolfi"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Adlarson"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Agapopoulou"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. A. Aidala"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Akar"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Akiba"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Al Saleh"
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    {
      "name": "P. Albicocco"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Albrecht"
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    {
      "name": "R. Aleksiejunas"
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    {
      "name": "F. Alessio"
    },
    {
      "name": "P. Alvarez Cartelle"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Amato"
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    {
      "name": "J. L. Amey"
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    {
      "name": "Y. Amhis"
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    {
      "name": "Z. Amos"
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    {
      "name": "L. An"
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    {
      "name": "L. Anderlini"
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    {
      "name": "P. Andreola"
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    {
      "name": "M. Andreotti"
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    {
      "name": "S. Andres Estrada"
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    {
      "name": "A. Anelli"
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    {
      "name": "D. Ao"
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    {
      "name": "C. Arata"
    },
    {
      "name": "F. Archilli"
    },
    {
      "name": "Z. Areg"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Argenton"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Arguedas Cuendis"
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    {
      "name": "L. Arnone"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Artuso"
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    {
      "name": "E. Aslanides"
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    {
      "name": "R. Ataíde Da Silva"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Atzeni"
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    {
      "name": "B. Audurier"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. A. Authier"
    },
    {
      "name": "D. Bacher"
    },
    {
      "name": "I. Bachiller Perea"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Bachmann"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Bachmayer"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. J. Back"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Bai"
    },
    {
      "name": "Z. B. Bai"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. Balagura"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Balboni"
    },
    {
      "name": "W. Baldini"
    },
    {
      "name": "Z. Baldwin"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Balzani"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Bao"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Baptista de Souza Leite"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Barbero Pretel"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Barbetti"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c6kzy3npqzyq2.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2611.00135",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "c6kzy3npqzyq2",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00135",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "hep-ex"
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      "arxiv",
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  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2611.00135",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c6kzy3npqzyq2.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:20:59Z",
      "native_id": "2611.00135",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00135"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:hep-ex",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:nucl-ex",
      "subfield": "nuclear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Search for $\\mathrm{GeV}$-scale axion-like particles in PbPb collisions",
  "title_text": "Search for GeV-scale axion-like particles in PbPb collisions",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T00:20:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/c6kzy3npqzyq2",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}