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Probing light axionlike particle via primordial black hole evaporation with gamma-ray observations

Tong Li* and Rui-Jia Zhang†

  • *Contact author: litong@nankai.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: zhangruijia@mail.nankai.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. D 112, 035028 – Published 20 August, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/fxl6-mcxw

Abstract

The axionlike particle (ALP) and primordial black hole (PBH) are two representative dark matter (DM) candidates as light bosonic DM and macroscopic objects, respectively. In this work, we investigate the gamma-ray production mechanisms induced by PBH evaporation and ALP-photon coupling gaγγ. The detection of gamma rays is also explored in future satellite telescopes, including AMEGO, e-ASTROGAM, and MAST. We first propose the evaporation-conversion scenario in which light ALPs are emitted by PBHs and are converted into photons in the presence of magnetic field in the Universe. The second scenario assumes ALPs as a dominant DM component in the Milky Way and considers the relativistic electron production from PBH evaporation. The emitted electrons scatter off nonrelativistic ALP in DM halo and produce gamma rays through the ALP-photon coupling. Using the Fisher forecasting method, we calculate the gamma-ray energy spectra from these two scenarios and derive projected sensitivity for the fraction of DM composed of PBHs fPBH and ALP-photon coupling gaγγ.

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Phys. Rev. D 112, 035028– Published 20 August, 2025
  • Received 27 April 2025
  • Accepted 4 August 2025
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