Axion-Like Particle Search with a Hybrid Cherenkov-Scintillation Detector
Abstract
This analysis presents the first proof-of-concept search for axion-like particles (ALPs) using a hybrid Cherenkov-scintillation detector at a beam-dump facility. The work is based on the Coherent CAPTAIN-Mills (CCM) experiment, a 10-ton liquid argon light collection detector located at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The CCM200 detector is instrumented with 200 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), providing approximately 50% photocathode coverage. To enable optical discrimination, 80% of the PMTs are coated with a wavelength-shifting material while the remaining 20% are left uncoated. This configuration, combined with nanosecond-scale timing resolution, provides sensitivity to prompt Cherenkov radiation while maintaining efficient detection of liquid argon scintillation light [1, 2]. This analysis constructs four observables that exploit the Cherenkov emission and event topology expected from ALP-induced electromagnetic interactions. These observables are combined into a likelihood-ratio classifier that provides powerful rejection of steady-state backgrounds. No statistically significant excess above the expected background prediction is observed for 10−3 MeV < ma < 10 MeV. Nevertheless, the improved background rejection enabled by hybrid Cherenkov-scintillation detection allows this analysis to surpass the sensitivity of the previous CCM120 search [3] despite less exposure and demonstrate the physics potential for hybrid Cherenkov-scintillation detectors.
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BibTeX
@misc{aguilararevalo2026axionlike,
title = {{Axion-Like Particle Search with a Hybrid Cherenkov-Scintillation Detector}},
author = {A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo and S. Biedron and J. Boissevain and M. Borrego and L. Bugel and M. Chavez-Estrada and J. M. Conrad and R. L. Cooper and J. R. Distel and J. C. D'Olivo and E. Dunton and B. Dutta and D. E. Fields and M. Gold and E. Guardincerri and E. C. Huang and N. Kamp and D. Kim and K. Knickerbocker and W. C. Louis and C. F. Macias-Acevedo and R. Mahapatra and J. Mezzetti and J. Mirabal and M. J. Mocko and D. A. Newmark and P. deNiverville and C. O'Connor and V. Pandey and D. Poulson and H. Ray and E. Renner and T. J. Schaub and A. Schneider and M. H. Shaevitz and D. Smith and W. Sondheim and A. M. Szelc and C. Taylor and A. Thompson and W. H. Thompson and R. T. Thornton and M. Tripathi and R. Van Berg and R. G. Van de Water and J. Zettlemoyer},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.12616},
eprint = {2608.12616},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.12616},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Axion-Like Particle Search with a Hybrid Cherenkov-Scintillation Detector
AU - A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo
AU - S. Biedron
AU - J. Boissevain
AU - M. Borrego
AU - L. Bugel
AU - M. Chavez-Estrada
AU - J. M. Conrad
AU - R. L. Cooper
AU - J. R. Distel
AU - J. C. D'Olivo
AU - E. Dunton
AU - B. Dutta
AU - D. E. Fields
AU - M. Gold
AU - E. Guardincerri
AU - E. C. Huang
AU - N. Kamp
AU - D. Kim
AU - K. Knickerbocker
AU - W. C. Louis
AU - C. F. Macias-Acevedo
AU - R. Mahapatra
AU - J. Mezzetti
AU - J. Mirabal
AU - M. J. Mocko
AU - D. A. Newmark
AU - P. deNiverville
AU - C. O'Connor
AU - V. Pandey
AU - D. Poulson
AU - H. Ray
AU - E. Renner
AU - T. J. Schaub
AU - A. Schneider
AU - M. H. Shaevitz
AU - D. Smith
AU - W. Sondheim
AU - A. M. Szelc
AU - C. Taylor
AU - A. Thompson
AU - W. H. Thompson
AU - R. T. Thornton
AU - M. Tripathi
AU - R. Van Berg
AU - R. G. Van de Water
AU - J. Zettlemoyer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.12616
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.12616
AB - This analysis presents the first proof-of-concept search for axion-like particles (ALPs) using a hybrid Cherenkov-scintillation detector at a beam-dump facility. The work is based on the Coherent CAPTAIN-Mills (CCM) experiment, a 10-ton liquid argon light collection detector located at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The CCM200 detector is instrumented with 200 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), providing approximately 50% photocathode coverage. To enable optical discrimination, 80% of the PMTs are coated with a wavelength-shifting material while the remaining 20% are left uncoated. This configuration, combined with nanosecond-scale timing resolution, provides sensitivity to prompt Cherenkov radiation while maintaining efficient detection of liquid argon scintillation light [1, 2]. This analysis constructs four observables that exploit the Cherenkov emission and event topology expected from ALP-induced electromagnetic interactions. These observables are combined into a likelihood-ratio classifier that provides powerful rejection of steady-state backgrounds. No statistically significant excess above the expected background prediction is observed for 10^−3 MeV < m_a < 10 MeV. Nevertheless, the improved background rejection enabled by hybrid Cherenkov-scintillation detection allows this analysis to surpass the sensitivity of the previous CCM120 search [3] despite less exposure and demonstrate the physics potential for hybrid Cherenkov-scintillation detectors.
ER -