Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Broadband constraints on axionlike particle dark matter from the Coma cluster radio halo and prospects for the SKA

Ramananda Santra*, Samik Mitra†, and Aniket Nath‡

  • *Contact author: ramananda.santra@icts.res.in
  • †Contact author: samik.mitra@icts.res.in
  • ‡Contact author: aniket.nath@icts.res.in

Phys. Rev. D 114, 103017 – Published 9 November, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/97vm-tftt

Abstract

We present upper limits on the axionlike particle (ALP) photon coupling constant gaγγ from a broadband spectral analysis of the Coma cluster (Abell 1656) radio halo. We have used flux density measurements spanning from 30.9 MHz to 6.6 GHz, which probe ALP masses from 0.26 to 55.9  μeV, the widest continuous mass coverage from any single cluster to date. We model the synchrotron foreground with the physically motivated in situ reacceleration spectrum, which provides a substantially better description of the strongly curved Coma halo spectrum than the simple power law adequate for the Bullet cluster. We adopt an aperture-matched profile-likelihood analysis as our primary statistical estimator, fitting the full 23-point radio spectrum simultaneously at each tested axion mass. For the robust CMB-only and CMB+extragalactic radio background photon baths, the 2σ upper end points at ma=55.9  μeV are both ≃4.35×10−8  GeV−1. Under the conditional gaγγ derived under a specific, conditional modeling framework of the intracluster medium (ICM) kinetic-temperature prescription for the stimulating photon bath, the corresponding limit strengthens to gaγγ<7.33×10−12  GeV−1, lying below the CAST helioscope and horizontal-branch stellar bounds at the high-frequency end of the Coma spectrum, while the lowest-frequency bins remain weaker than these stellar-evolution limits. At ma>40  μeV, the conditional ICM-enhanced limits are comparable to the sensitivity reached by the MADMAX prototype, while providing continuous broadband coverage across this mass range. We further forecast the sensitivity achievable with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in its high-frequency bands. Under the same conditional ICM photon-bath prescription, an ideal thermal-noise-limited SKA midfrequency telescope (SKA-MID) band 5b observation with 100 h of integration on Coma would reach gaγγ∼7.5×10−13  GeV−1 across 70–130  μeV, extending broadband sensitivity into a mass range that remains sparsely constrained by present experiments. A systematic comparison across 14 galaxy clusters demonstrates that the luminosity distance to the observer is the dominant figure of merit, with the nearby Ophiuchus cluster (z=0.028) emerging as the premier SKA-MID target in our forecast analysis, at a projected limit of gaγγ∼2.70×10−13  GeV−1.

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (66)

  1. R. D. Peccei and H. R. Quinn, CP conservation in the presence of pseudoparticles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 1440 (1977).
  2. R. D. Peccei and H. R. Quinn, Constraints imposed by CP conservation in the presence of pseudoparticles, Phys. Rev. D 16, 1791 (1977).
  3. S. Weinberg, A new light boson?, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 223 (1978).
  4. F. Wilczek, Problem of strong P and T invariance in the presence of instantons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 279 (1978).
  5. J. Jaeckel and A. Ringwald, The low-energy frontier of particle physics, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 60, 405 (2010).
  6. P. Svrcek and E. Witten, Axions in string theory, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2006) 051.
  7. A. Arvanitaki, S. Dimopoulos, S. Dubovsky, N. Kaloper, and J. March-Russell, String axiverse, Phys. Rev. D 81, 123530 (2010).
  8. J. Preskill, M. B. Wise, and F. Wilczek, Cosmology of the invisible axion, Phys. Lett. 120B, 127 (1983).
  9. L. F. Abbott and P. Sikivie, A cosmological bound on the invisible axion, Phys. Lett. 120B, 133 (1983).
  10. M. Dine and W. Fischler, The not-so-harmless axion, Phys. Lett. 120B, 137 (1983).
  11. M. H. Chan, Constraining the axion-photon coupling using radio data of the Bullet cluster, Sci. Rep. 11, 20087 (2021).
  12. L. Feretti, G. Giovannini, F. Govoni, and M. Murgia, Clusters of galaxies: Observational properties of the diffuse radio emission, Astron. Astrophys. Rev. 20, 54 (2012).
  13. R. J. van Weeren, F. de Gasperin, H. Akamatsu, M. Brüggen, L. Feretti, H. Kang, A. Stroe, and F. Zandanel, Diffuse radio emission from galaxy clusters, Space Sci. Rev. 215, 16 (2019).
  14. M. Murgia et al., Sardinia radio telescope observations of the Coma cluster, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 528, 6470 (2024).
  15. P. Marchegiani, M. Murgia, F. Loi, V. Vacca, F. Govoni, S. Cocchi, and F. Gandossi, High significance detection at 4.8 GHz of the radio halo in the Coma galaxy cluster with the Sardinia Radio Telescope, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 547, stag352 (2026).
  16. D. Wouters and P. Brun, Constraints on axion-like particles from X-ray observations of the hydra galaxy cluster, Astrophys. J. 772, 44 (2013).
  17. M. Berg, J. P. Conlon, F. Day, N. Jennings, S. Krippendorf, A. J. Powell, and M. Rummel, Constraints on axion-like particles from X-ray observations of NGC1275, Astrophys. J. 847, 101 (2017).
  18. J. P. Conlon, F. Day, N. Jennings, S. Krippendorf, and M. Rummel, Constraints on axion-like particles from non-observation of spectral modulations for X-ray point sources, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2017) 005.
  19. M. Ajello et al. (Fermi-LAT Collaboration), Search for spectral irregularities due to photon-axionlike-particle oscillations with the fermi large area telescope, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 161101 (2016).
  20. C. B. Adams et al., Constraints on axionlike particles from VERITAS observations of a flaring radio galaxy in the Perseus cluster, Phys. Rev. D 112, 103044 (2025).
  21. S. Mukherjee, R. Khatri, and B. D. Wandelt, Polarized anisotropic spectral distortions of the CMB: Galactic and extragalactic constraints on photon-axion conversion, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 04 (2018) 045.
  22. C. Bartram et al. (ADMX Collaboration), Search for “invisible” axion dark matter in the 3.3–4.2  μeV mass range, Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 261803 (2021).
  23. J. Jeong, S. Youn, S. Bae, J. Kim, T. Seong, J. E. Kim, and Y. K. Semertzidis, Search for invisible axion dark matter with a multiple-cell haloscope, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 221302 (2020).
  24. M. J. Jewell et al. (Haystac Collaboration), New results from HAYSTAC’s phase II operation with a squeezed state receiver, Phys. Rev. D 107, 072007 (2023).
  25. N. Crescini, D. Alesini, C. Braggio, G. Carugno, D. D’Agostino, D. Di Gioacchino, P. Falferi, U. Gambardella, C. Gatti, G. Iannone, C. Ligi, A. Lombardi, A. Ortolan, R. Pengo, G. Ruoso, L. Taffarello (QUAX Collaboration), Axion search with a quantum-limited ferromagnetic haloscope, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 171801 (2020).
  26. B. T. McAllister, G. Flower, E. N. Ivanov, M. Goryachev, J. Bourhill, and M. E. Tobar, The ORGAN experiment: An axion haloscope above 15 GHz, Phys. Dark Universe 18, 67 (2017).
  27. A. Caldwell, G. Dvali, B. Majorovits, A. Millar, G. Raffelt, J. Redondo, O. Reimann, F. Simon, F. Steffen (Madmax Working Group), Dielectric haloscopes: A new way to detect axion dark matter, Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 091801 (2017).
  28. K. Altenmüller et al. (CAST Collaboration), New upper limit on the axion-photon coupling with an extended CAST run with a Xe-based micromegas detector, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 221005 (2024).
  29. E. Armengaud et al., Conceptual design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO), J. Instrum. 9, T05002 (2014).
  30. A. Ayala, I. Domínguez, M. Giannotti, A. Mirizzi, and O. Straniero, Revisiting the bound on axion-photon coupling from globular clusters, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 191302 (2014).
  31. J. Isern, E. García-Berro, L. G. Althaus, and A. H. Córsico, Axions and the pulsation periods of variable white dwarfs revisited, Astron. Astrophys. 512, A86 (2010).
  32. P. A. R. Ade et al. (Planck Collaboration), Planck 2015 results. XX. Constraints on inflation, Astron. Astrophys. 594, A20 (2016).
  33. M. F. Struble and H. J. Rood, A compilation of redshifts and velocity dispersions for ACO clusters, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 125, 35 (1999).
  34. J. O. Burns, K. Roettiger, M. Ledlow, and A. Klypin, The coma cluster after lunch: Has a galaxy group passed through the cluster core?, Astrophys. J. Lett. 427, L87 (1994).
  35. D. M. Neumann, D. H. Lumb, G. W. Pratt, and U. G. Briel, The dynamical state of the Coma cluster with XMM-Newton, Astron. Astrophys. 400, 811 (2003).
  36. J. M. Kubo, A. Stebbins, J. Annis, I. P. Dell’Antonio, H. Lin, H. Khiabanian, and J. A. Frieman, The mass of the coma cluster from weak lensing in the sloan digital sky survey, Astrophys. J. 671, 1466 (2007).
  37. M. Arnaud, N. Aghanim, R. Gastaud, D. M. Neumann, D. Lumb, U. Briel, B. Altieri, S. Ghizzardi, J. Mittaz, T. P. Sasseen, and W. T. Vestrand, XMM-Newton observation of the coma galaxy cluster. The temperature structure in the central region, Astron. Astrophys. 365, L67 (2001).
  38. A. Bonafede, L. Feretti, M. Murgia, F. Govoni, G. Giovannini, D. Dallacasa, K. Dolag, and G. B. Taylor, The Coma cluster magnetic field from Faraday rotation measures, Astron. Astrophys. 513, A30 (2010).
  39. M. A. G. Willson, Radio observations of the cluster of galaxies in Coma Berenices—the 5C4 survey, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 151, 1 (1970).
  40. A. Bonafede et al., The Coma cluster at LOFAR frequencies. II. The halo, relic, and a new accretion relic, Astrophys. J. 933, 218 (2022).
  41. T. Venturi, G. Giovannini, and L. Feretti, High-sensitivity radio observations of the Coma cluster of galaxies, Astron. J. 99, 1381 (1990).
  42. R. A. Cordey, The radio halo and active galaxies in the Coma cluster, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 215, 437 (1985).
  43. G. Giovannini, L. Feretti, T. Venturi, K.-T. Kim, and P. P. Kronberg, The halo radio source Coma C and the origin of halo sources, Astrophys. J. 406, 399 (1993).
  44. P. A. Henning, 30.9 MHz Observations of the radio halo in the Coma cluster of galaxies, Astron. J. 97, 1561 (1989).
  45. K.-T. Kim, P. P. Kronberg, P. E. Dewdney, and T. L. Landecker, The halo and magnetic field of the Coma cluster of galaxies, Astrophys. J. 355, 29 (1990).
  46. B. M. Deiss, W. Reich, H. Lesch, and R. Wielebinski, The large-scale structure of the diffuse radio halo of the Coma cluster at 1.4 GHz, Astron. Astrophys. 321, 55 (1997), https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1997A%26A...321...55D/abstract.
  47. M. Thierbach, U. Klein, and R. Wielebinski, The diffuse radio emission from the Coma cluster at 2.675 GHz and 4.85 GHz, Astron. Astrophys. 397, 53 (2003).
  48. G. Brunetti and A. Lazarian, Compressible turbulence in galaxy clusters: Physics and stochastic particle re-acceleration, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 378, 245 (2007).
  49. G. Brunetti and T. W. Jones, Cosmic rays in galaxy clusters and their nonthermal emission, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D 23, 1430007 (2014).
  50. W. J. Jaffe and G. C. Perola, Dynamical models of tailed radio sources in clusters of galaxies, Astron. Astrophys. 26, 423 (1973), https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1973A%26A....26..423J/abstract.
  51. E. Massaro, M. Perri, P. Giommi, and R. Nesci, Log-parabolic spectra and particle acceleration in the BL Lac object Mkn 421: Spectral analysis of the complete BeppoSAX wide band X-ray data set, Astron. Astrophys. 413, 489 (2004).
  52. A. Tramacere, F. Massaro, and A. Cavaliere, Signatures of synchrotron emission and of electron acceleration in the X-ray spectra of Mrk 421, Astron. Astrophys. 466, 521 (2007).
  53. D. J. Fixsen, A. Kogut, S. Levin, M. Limon, P. Lubin, P. Mirel, M. Seiffert, J. Singal, E. Wollack, T. Villela, and C. A. Wuensche, ARCADE 2 measurement of the absolute sky brightness at 3–90 GHz, Astrophys. J. 734, 5 (2011).
  54. J. F. Navarro, C. S. Frenk, and S. D. M. White, The structure of cold dark matter halos, Astrophys. J. 462, 563 (1996).
  55. G. G. di Cortona, E. Hardy, J. P. Vega, and G. Villadoro, The QCD axion, precisely, J. High Energy Phys. 01 (2016) 034.
  56. R. Braun, A. Bonaldi, T. Bourke, E. Keane, and J. Wagg, Anticipated performance of the square kilometre array—Phase 1 (SKA1), arXiv:1912.12699.
  57. B. Ary dos Santos Garcia et al. (MADMAX Collaboration), First search for axion dark matter with a madmax prototype, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 041001 (2025).
  58. G. Hoshino, S. Knirck, M. H. Awida, G. I. Cancelo, S. Corrodi, M. di Federico, B. Knepper, A. Lapuente, M. Littmann, D. W. Miller, D. V. Mitchell, D. Rodriguez, M. K. Ruschman, C. P. Salemi, M. A. Sawtell, L. Stefanazzi, A. Sonnenschein, G. W. Teafoe, P. Winter (Gigabread Collaboration), First axionlike particle results from a broadband search for wavelike dark matter in the 44 to 52  μeV range with a coaxial dish antenna, Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 171002 (2025).
  59. F. Durret, K. Wakamatsu, T. Nagayama, C. Adami, and A. Biviano, Ophiuchus: An optical view of a very massive cluster of galaxies hidden behind the Milky Way ⋆, Astron. Astrophys. 583, A124 (2015).
  60. E. Churazov, W. Forman, C. Jones, and H. Böhringer, XMM-Newton observations of the perseus cluster. I. The temperature and surface brightness structure, Astrophys. J. 590, 225 (2003).
  61. M. Seiffert, D. J. Fixsen, A. Kogut, S. M. Levin, M. Limon, P. M. Lubin, P. Mirel, J. Singal, T. Villela, E. Wollack, and C. A. Wuensche, Interpretation of the ARCADE 2 absolute sky brightness measurement, Astrophys. J. 734, 6 (2011).
  62. N. Fornengo, L. Maccione, and A. Vittino, Constraints on particle dark matter from cosmic-ray antiprotons, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 04 (2014) 003.
  63. G. Raffelt and L. Stodolsky, Mixing of the photon with low-mass particles, Phys. Rev. D 37, 1237 (1988).
  64. M. Libanov and S. Troitsky, On the impact of magnetic-field models in galaxy clusters on constraints on axion-like particles from the lack of irregularities in high-energy spectra of astrophysical sources, Phys. Lett. B 802, 135252 (2020).
  65. https://github.com/cajohare/AxionLimits.
  66. C. Shariat, overcite: Add citations in LaTeX without leaving the editor, Res. Notes Am. Astron. Soc. 10, 86 (2026).

Outline

Information

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation