Axions from Betelgeuse: Probing Axion Couplings with 23Na and 55Mn
Abstract
We investigate axion-like particle (ALP) production in the interior of Betelgeuse via nuclear de-excitation of thermally populated excited states of 23Na and 55Mn. As these ALPs propagate to Earth, they can produce photons either through their conversion in the Galactic magnetic field or through their decay. Using INTEGRAL-ISGRI and NuSTAR observations, we search for these photon signals, find no significant excess, and derive 95% CL exclusion limits on the ALP couplings. For magnetic-field conversion of ALPs, the 23Na (55Mn) line observed with INTEGRAL-ISGRI constrains |gaγgap| < 4.1×10−21 (6.9×10−19) GeV−1 for ma < 10−10 eV. For ALP decays, the 23Na (55Mn) line observed with INTEGRAL-ISGRI (NuSTAR) constrains |gaγgap| down to 3.0×10−22 (2.9×10−19) GeV−1 at ma ≃ 400 ($83$) keV, weakening in both cases as ma−3/2 for lower ALP masses, and as ma−2 for 23Na below ma ∼ 1 keV, with sensitivity extending to ma ≃ 440.2 ($124$) keV. Although our 23Na-based limits are the strongest for both channels, their larger transition energy makes them more sensitive to the precise evolutionary stage of Betelgeuse, whereas the 55Mn-based limits are considerably more robust against such uncertainties.
Related
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BibTeX
@misc{revel2026axions,
title = {{Axions from Betelgeuse: Probing Axion Couplings with $^23\rmNa$ and $^55\rmMn$}},
author = {Nicholas A. M. Revel and Baldeep Grewal and Anupam Ray and Aaron C. Vincent},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.34540},
eprint = {2610.34540},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.34540},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Axions from Betelgeuse: Probing Axion Couplings with ^23Na and ^55Mn
AU - Nicholas A. M. Revel
AU - Baldeep Grewal
AU - Anupam Ray
AU - Aaron C. Vincent
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.34540
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.34540
AB - We investigate axion-like particle (ALP) production in the interior of Betelgeuse via nuclear de-excitation of thermally populated excited states of ^23Na and ^55Mn. As these ALPs propagate to Earth, they can produce photons either through their conversion in the Galactic magnetic field or through their decay. Using INTEGRAL-ISGRI and NuSTAR observations, we search for these photon signals, find no significant excess, and derive 95% CL exclusion limits on the ALP couplings. For magnetic-field conversion of ALPs, the ^23Na (^55Mn) line observed with INTEGRAL-ISGRI constrains |g_aγg_ap| < 4.1×10^−21 (6.9×10^−19) GeV^−1 for m_a < 10^−10 eV. For ALP decays, the ^23Na (^55Mn) line observed with INTEGRAL-ISGRI (NuSTAR) constrains |g_aγg_ap| down to 3.0×10^−22 (2.9×10^−19) GeV^−1 at m_a ≃ 400 ($83$) keV, weakening in both cases as m_a^−3/2 for lower ALP masses, and as m_a^−2 for ^23Na below m_a ∼ 1 keV, with sensitivity extending to m_a ≃ 440.2 ($124$) keV. Although our ^23Na-based limits are the strongest for both channels, their larger transition energy makes them more sensitive to the precise evolutionary stage of Betelgeuse, whereas the ^55Mn-based limits are considerably more robust against such uncertainties.
ER -