# Constraints on axionlike particles with H.E.S.S. from the irregularity of the PKS 2155-304 energy spectrum

7 APC - AHE - APC - Astrophysique des Hautes Energies
APC (UMR_7164) - AstroParticule et Cosmologie, Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universita degli Studi di Bologna
Abstract : Axionlike particles (ALPs) are hypothetical light (sub-eV) bosons predicted in some extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. In astrophysical environments comprising high-energy gamma rays and turbulent magnetic fields, the existence of ALPs can modify the energy spectrum of the gamma rays for a sufficiently large coupling between ALPs and photons. This modification would take the form of an irregular behavior of the energy spectrum in a limited energy range. Data from the H.E.S.S. observations of the distant BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 (z = 0.116) are used to derive upper limits at the 95% C.L. on the strength of the ALP coupling to photons, $g_{\gamma a} < 2.1\times 10^{-11}$ GeV$^{-1}$ for an ALP mass between 15 neV and 60 neV. The results depend on assumptions on the magnetic field around the source, which are chosen conservatively. The derived constraints apply to both light pseudoscalar and scalar bosons that couple to the electromagnetic field.
Document type :
Journal articles
Domain :

http://hal.in2p3.fr/in2p3-00907630
Contributor : Claudine Bombar <>
Submitted on : Thursday, November 21, 2013 - 3:08:28 PM
Last modification on : Thursday, January 7, 2021 - 5:56:02 PM

### Citation

A. Abramowski, Fabio Acero, F. Aharonian, F. Ait Benkhali, A. G. Akhperjanian, et al.. Constraints on axionlike particles with H.E.S.S. from the irregularity of the PKS 2155-304 energy spectrum. Physical Review D, American Physical Society, 2013, 88, pp.102003. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevD.88.102003⟩. ⟨in2p3-00907630⟩

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