Constraints on axion-like polarization oscillations in the CMB with POLARBEAR
Constraints on axion-like polarization oscillations in the CMB with POLARBEAR
Please contact erule@berkeley.edu or anupam.ray@berkeley.edu for zoom links.
Very light pseudoscalar fields, often referred to as axions, are compelling dark matter candidates and can potentially be detected through their coupling to the electromagnetic field. Recently a novel detection technique using the cosmic microwave background (CMB) was proposed, which relies on the fact that the axion field oscillates at a frequency equal to its mass in appropriate units, leading to a time-dependent birefringence. For appropriate oscillation periods this allows the axion field at the telescope to be detected via the induced sinusoidal oscillation of the CMB linear polarization. I will discuss how we search for this effect using the POLARBEAR telescope and the constraints we place.
