- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine

Physical Review D

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Open Access

Probing axionlike particles with multimessenger observations of neutron star mergers

Francesca Lecce1,2,*, Alessandro Lella1,2,†, Giuseppe Lucente3,‡, Vimal Vijayan4,§, Andreas Bauswein4,∥, Maurizio Giannotti5,6,¶, and Alessandro Mirizzi1,2,**

  • *Contact author: francesca.lecce@ba.infn.it
  • †Contact author: alessandro.lella@ba.infn.it
  • ‡Contact author: giuseppe.lucente@ba.infn.it
  • §Contact author: v.vijayan@gsi.de
  • ∥Contact author: a.bauswein@gsi.de
  • Contact author: mgiannotti@unizar.es
  • **Contact author: alessandro.mirizzi@ba.infn.it
PDF

Phys. Rev. D 112, 023001 – Published 1 July, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/krf3-lm4s

Abstract

Axion-like particles (ALPs) can be copiously produced in binary neutron star (BNS) mergers through nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung if the ALP-nucleon couplings gaN are sizable. The ALP-photon coupling gaγ may trigger conversions of ultralight ALPs into photons in the magnetic fields of the merger remnant and of the Milky Way. This effect would lead to a potentially observable short gamma-ray signal, in coincidence with the gravitational-wave signal produced during the merging process. This event could be detected through multimessenger observation of BNS mergers employing the synergy between gravitational-wave detectors and gamma-ray telescopes. Here, we study the sensitivity of current and proposed MeV gamma-ray experiments to detect such a signal. As an explicit example, we consider ALP couplings related as in the Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov axion model, and show that in this case the proposed instruments can reach a sensitivity down to gaγ≳few×10−13  GeV−1 for ma≲10−9  eV, comparable with the SN 1987A limit.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (104)

  1. J. Jaeckel and A. Ringwald, The low-energy frontier of particle physics, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 60, 405 (2010).
  2. A. Ringwald, Axions and axion-like particles, in 49th Rencontres de Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories (2014), pp. 223–230, arXiv:1407.0546.
  3. L. Di Luzio, M. Giannotti, E. Nardi, and L. Visinelli, The landscape of QCD axion models, Phys. Rep. 870, 1 (2020).
  4. P. Agrawal et al., Feebly-interacting particles: FIPs 2020 workshop report, Eur. Phys. J. C 81, 1015 (2021).
  5. M. Giannotti, Aspects of axions and ALPs phenomenology, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 2502, 012003 (2023).
  6. C. Antel et al., Feebly-interacting particles: FIPs 2022 workshop report, Eur. Phys. J. C 83, 1122 (2023).
  7. R. D. Peccei and H. R. Quinn, CP conservation in the presence of instantons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 38, 1440 (1977).
  8. R. D. Peccei and H. R. Quinn, Constraints imposed by CP conservation in the presence of instantons, Phys. Rev. D 16, 1791 (1977).
  9. S. Weinberg, A new light boson?, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 223 (1978).
  10. F. Wilczek, Problem of strong P and T invariance in the presence of instantons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 40, 279 (1978).
  11. A. Arvanitaki, S. Dimopoulos, S. Dubovsky, N. Kaloper, and J. March-Russell, String axiverse, Phys. Rev. D 81, 123530 (2010).
  12. M. Cicoli, M. Goodsell, and A. Ringwald, The type IIB string axiverse and its low-energy phenomenology, J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2012) 146.
  13. M. Cicoli, J. P. Conlon, A. Maharana, S. Parameswaran, F. Quevedo, and I. Zavala, String cosmology: From the early universe to today, Phys. Rep. 1059, 1 (2024).
  14. P. Carenza, M. Giannotti, J. Isern, A. Mirizzi, and O. Straniero, Axion astrophysics, Phys. Rep. 1117, 1 (2025).
  15. M. Carena and R. D. Peccei, The effective Lagrangian for axion emission from SN1987A, Phys. Rev. D 40, 652 (1989).
  16. R. P. Brinkmann and M. S. Turner, Numerical rates for nucleon-nucleon axion bremsstrahlung, Phys. Rev. D 38, 2338 (1988).
  17. G. Raffelt and D. Seckel, A selfconsistent approach to neutral current processes in supernova cores, Phys. Rev. D 52, 1780 (1995).
  18. G. G. Raffelt, Stars as Laboratories for Fundamental Physics: The Astrophysics of Neutrinos, Axions, and Other Weakly Interacting Particles (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1996).
  19. P. Carenza, T. Fischer, M. Giannotti, G. Guo, G. Martínez-Pinedo, and A. Mirizzi, Improved axion emissivity from a supernova via nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 10 (2019) 016; 05 (2020) E01.
  20. A. Lella, P. Carenza, G. Lucente, M. Giannotti, and A. Mirizzi, Protoneutron stars as cosmic factories for massive axionlike particles, Phys. Rev. D 107, 103017 (2023).
  21. A. Lella, P. Carenza, G. Co’, G. Lucente, M. Giannotti, A. Mirizzi, and T. Rauscher, Getting the most on supernova axions, Phys. Rev. D 109, 023001 (2024).
  22. P. Carenza, B. Fore, M. Giannotti, A. Mirizzi, and S. Reddy, Enhanced supernova axion emission and its implications, Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 071102 (2021).
  23. G. G. Raffelt and D. S. P. Dearborn, Bounds on hadronic axions from stellar evolution, Phys. Rev. D 36, 2211 (1987).
  24. G. Raffelt and L. Stodolsky, Mixing of the photon with low mass particles, Phys. Rev. D 37, 1237 (1988).
  25. K. Hirata et al. (Kamiokande-II Collaboration), Observation of a neutrino burst from the supernova SN 1987a, Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1490 (1987).
  26. K. S. Hirata et al., Observation in the Kamiokande-II detector of the neutrino burst from supernova SN 1987a, Phys. Rev. D 38, 448 (1988).
  27. R. M. Bionta et al., Observation of a neutrino burst in coincidence with supernova SN 1987a in the Large Magellanic Cloud, Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1494 (1987).
  28. C. B. Bratton et al. (IMB Collaboration), Angular distribution of events from Sn1987a, Phys. Rev. D 37, 3361 (1988).
  29. E. N. Alekseev, L. N. Alekseeva, I. V. Krivosheina, and V. I. Volchenko, Detection of the neutrino signal from SN1987A in the LMC using the Inr Baksan Underground Scintillation Telescope, Phys. Lett. B 205, 209 (1988).
  30. J. A. Grifols, E. Masso, and R. Toldra, Gamma-rays from SN1987A due to pseudoscalar conversion, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 2372 (1996).
  31. J. W. Brockway, E. D. Carlson, and G. G. Raffelt, SN1987A gamma-ray limits on the conversion of pseudoscalars, Phys. Lett. B 383, 439 (1996).
  32. A. Payez, C. Evoli, T. Fischer, M. Giannotti, A. Mirizzi, and A. Ringwald, Revisiting the SN1987A gamma-ray limit on ultralight axion-like particles, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2015) 006.
  33. S. Hoof and L. Schulz, Updated constraints on axion-like particles from temporal information in supernova SN1987A gamma-ray data, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 03 (2023) 054.
  34. F. Calore, P. Carenza, M. Giannotti, J. Jaeckel, and A. Mirizzi, Bounds on axionlike particles from the diffuse supernova flux, Phys. Rev. D 102, 123005 (2020).
  35. C. A. Manzari, Y. Park, B. R. Safdi, and I. Savoray, Supernova axions convert to gamma rays in magnetic fields of progenitor stars, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 211002 (2024).
  36. T. Dietrich and K. Clough, Cooling binary neutron star remnants via nucleon-nucleon-axion bremsstrahlung, Phys. Rev. D 100, 083005 (2019).
  37. D. F. G. Fiorillo and F. Iocco, Axions from neutron star mergers, Phys. Rev. D 105, 123007 (2022).
  38. G. M. Harry (LIGO Scientific Collaboration), Advanced LIGO: The next generation of gravitational wave detectors, Classical Quantum Gravity 27, 084006 (2010).
  39. F. Acernese et al. (Virgo Collaboration), Advanced Virgo: A second-generation interferometric gravitational wave detector, Classical Quantum Gravity 32, 024001 (2015).
  40. B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific, Virgo, Fermi GBM, INTEGRAL, IceCube, AstroSat Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager Team, IPN, Insight-Hxmt, ANTARES, Swift, AGILE Team, 1M2H Team, Dark Energy Camera GW-EM, DES, DLT40, GRAWITA, Fermi-LAT, ATCA, ASKAP, Las Cumbres Observatory Group, OzGrav, DWF (Deeper Wider Faster Program), AST3, CAASTRO, VINROUGE, MASTER, J-GEM, GROWTH, JAGWAR, CaltechNRAO, TTU-NRAO, NuSTAR, Pan-STARRS, MAXI Team, TZAC Consortium, KU, Nordic Optical Telescope, ePESSTO, GROND, Texas Tech University, SALT Group, TOROS, BOOTES, MWA, CALET, IKI-GW Follow-up, H.E.S.S., LOFAR, LWA, HAWC, Pierre Auger, ALMA, Euro VLBI Team, Pi of Sky, Chandra Team at McGill University, DFN, ATLAS Telescopes, High Time Resolution Universe Survey, RIMAS, RATIR, SKA South Africa/MeerKAT Collaboration), Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger, Astrophys. J. Lett. 848, L12 (2017).
  41. D. Kocevski, N. Omodei, and G. Vianello (Fermi-LAT Collaboration), Fermi-LAT observations of the LIGO/Virgo event GW170817, arXiv:1710.05450.
  42. B. P. Abbott et al. (LIGO Scientific, Virgo, Fermi-GBM, and INTEGRAL Collaborations), Gravitational waves and gamma-rays from a binary neutron star merger: GW170817 and GRB 170817A, Astrophys. J. Lett. 848, L13 (2017).
  43. V. Savchenko et al., INTEGRAL detection of the first prompt gamma-ray signal coincident with the gravitational-wave event GW170817, Astrophys. J. Lett. 848, L15 (2017).
  44. L. Baiotti and L. Rezzolla, Binary neutron star mergers: A review of Einstein’s richest laboratory, Rep. Prog. Phys. 80, 096901 (2017).
  45. S. Typel, G. Röpke, T. Klähn, D. Blaschke, and H. H. Wolter, Composition and thermodynamics of nuclear matter with light clusters, Phys. Rev. C 81, 015803 (2010).
  46. R. Ardevol-Pulpillo, H. T. Janka, O. Just, and A. Bauswein, Improved leakage-equilibration-absorption scheme (ILEAS) for neutrino physics in compact object mergers, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 485, 4754 (2019).
  47. C. E. Collins, A. Bauswein, S. A. Sim, V. Vijayan, G. Martínez-Pinedo, O. Just, L. J. Shingles, and M. Kromer, 3D radiative transfer kilonova modelling for binary neutron star merger simulations, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 521, 1858 (2023).
  48. N. Iwamoto, Axion emission from neutron stars, Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1198 (1984).
  49. M. Hempel, Nucleon self-energies for supernova equations of state, Phys. Rev. C 91, 055807 (2015).
  50. G. Martinez-Pinedo, T. Fischer, A. Lohs, and L. Huther, Charged-current weak interaction processes in hot and dense matter and its impact on the spectra of neutrinos emitted from proto-neutron star cooling, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 251104 (2012).
  51. W. Keil, H.-T. Janka, D. N. Schramm, G. Sigl, M. S. Turner, and J. R. Ellis, A fresh look at axions and SN-1987A, Phys. Rev. D 56, 2419 (1997).
  52. K. Springmann, M. Stadlbauer, S. Stelzl, and A. Weiler, From supernovae to neutron stars: A systematic approach to axion production at finite density, J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2025) 138.
  53. V. Vijayan, N. Rahman, A. Bauswein, G. Martínez-Pinedo, and I. L. Arbina, Impact of pions on binary neutron star mergers, Phys. Rev. D 108, 023020 (2023).
  54. M. A. Pajkos and E. R. Most, Influence of muons, pions, and trapped neutrinos on neutron star mergers, Phys. Rev. D 111, 043013 (2025).
  55. F. Calore, P. Carenza, C. Eckner, T. Fischer, M. Giannotti, J. Jaeckel, K. Kotake, T. Kuroda, A. Mirizzi, and F. Sivo, 3D template-based Fermi-LAT constraints on the diffuse supernova axion-like particle background, Phys. Rev. D 105, 063028 (2022).
  56. P. S. B. Dev, J.-F. Fortin, S. P. Harris, K. Sinha, and Y. Zhang, First constraints on the photon coupling of axionlike particles from multimessenger studies of the neutron star merger GW170817, Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 101003 (2024).
  57. M. Diamond, D. F. G. Fiorillo, G. Marques-Tavares, I. Tamborra, and E. Vitagliano, Multimessenger constraints on radiatively decaying axions from GW170817, Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 101004 (2024).
  58. H. Kochankovski, G. Lioutas, S. Blacker, A. Bauswein, A. Ramos, and L. Tolos, The impact of hyperons on neutron star mergers: Gravitational waves, mass ejection and black hole formation, arXiv:2501.12905.
  59. J. E. Kim, Weak interaction singlet and strong CP invariance, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 103 (1979).
  60. M. A. Shifman, A. Vainshtein, and V. I. Zakharov, Can confinement ensure natural CP invariance of strong interactions?, Nucl. Phys. B166, 493 (1980).
  61. G. Grilli di Cortona, E. Hardy, J. Pardo Vega, and G. Villadoro, The QCD axion, precisely, J. High Energy Phys. 01 (2016) 034.
  62. S. P. Harris, J.-F. Fortin, K. Sinha, and M. G. Alford, Axions in neutron star mergers, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2020) 023.
  63. V. Paschalidis, General relativistic simulations of compact binary mergers as engines for short gamma-ray bursts, Classical Quantum Gravity 34, 084002 (2017).
  64. M. D. Duez and Y. Zlochower, Numerical relativity of compact binaries in the 21st century, Rep. Prog. Phys. 82, 016902 (2019).
  65. R. Ciolfi, The key role of magnetic fields in binary neutron star mergers, Gen. Relativ. Gravit. 52, 59 (2020).
  66. J.-F. Fortin and K. Sinha, Constraining axion-like-particles with hard x-ray emission from magnetars, J. High Energy Phys. 06 (2018) 048.
  67. C. Dessert, A. J. Long, and B. R. Safdi, X-ray signatures of axion conversion in magnetic white dwarf stars, Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 061104 (2019).
  68. W. Heisenberg and H. Euler, Consequences of Dirac’s theory of positrons, Z. Phys. 98, 714 (1936).
  69. R. Jansson and G. R. Farrar, A new model of the galactic magnetic field, Astrophys. J. 757, 14 (2012).
  70. A. Fletcher, Magnetic fields in nearby galaxies, ASP Conf. Ser. 438, 197 (2011).
  71. R. Beck and R. Wielebinski, Magnetic fields in the Milky Way and in galaxies, in Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems, Vol. 5: “Galactic Structure and Stellar Populations,” edited by G. Gilmore (Springer, Berlin, 2013), Chapter 13, ISBN [Amazon][WorldCat]ACM-class: J.2MSC-class: 85-00.
  72. R. Pakmor, F. A. Gómez, R. J. J. Grand, F. Marinacci, C. M. Simpson, V. Springel, D. J. R. Campbell, C. S. Frenk, T. Guillet, C. Pfrommer, and S. D. M. White, Magnetic field formation in the Milky Way like disc galaxies of the Auriga project, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 469, 3185 (2017).
  73. A. Mirizzi and D. Montanino, Stochastic conversions of TeV photons into axion-like particles in extragalactic magnetic fields, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 12 (2009) 004.
  74. A. Kartavtsev, G. Raffelt, and H. Vogel, Extragalactic photon-ALP conversion at CTA energies, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 01 (2017) 024.
  75. A. M. Taylor, I. Vovk, and A. Neronov, Extragalactic magnetic fields constraints from simultaneous GeV-TeV observations of blazars, Astron. Astrophys. 529, A144 (2011).
  76. R. Durrer and A. Neronov, Cosmological magnetic fields: Their generation, evolution and observation, Astron. Astrophys. Rev. 21, 62 (2013).
  77. C. Caprini and S. Gabici, Gamma-ray observations of blazars and the intergalactic magnetic field spectrum, Phys. Rev. D 91, 123514 (2015).
  78. M. S. Pshirkov, P. G. Tinyakov, P. P. Kronberg, and K. J. Newton-McGee, Deriving global structure of the galactic magnetic field from Faraday rotation measures of extragalactic sources, Astrophys. J. 738, 192 (2011).
  79. M. Unger and G. R. Farrar, The coherent magnetic field of the Milky Way, Astrophys. J. 970, 95 (2024).
  80. B. Gold et al., Seven-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations: Galactic foreground emission, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 192, 15 (2011).
  81. R. Adam et al. (Planck Collaboration), Planck intermediate results: XLII. Large-scale galactic magnetic fields, Astron. Astrophys. 596, A103 (2016).
  82. R. Adam et al. (Planck Collaboration), Planck 2015 results. I. Overview of products and scientific results, Astron. Astrophys. 594, A1 (2016).
  83. P. A. R. Ade et al. (Planck Collaboration), Planck 2015 results—II. Low frequency instrument data processings, Astron. Astrophys. 594, A2 (2016).
  84. P. A. R. Ade et al. (Planck Collaboration), Planck 2015 results. VI. LFI mapmaking, Astron. Astrophys. 594, A6 (2016).
  85. D. Horns, L. Maccione, M. Meyer, A. Mirizzi, D. Montanino, and M. Roncadelli, Hardening of TeV gamma spectrum of AGNs in galaxy clusters by conversions of photons into axion-like particles, Phys. Rev. D 86, 075024 (2012).
  86. M. Soares-Santos et al. (DES, Dark Energy Camera GW-EM Collaborations), The electromagnetic counterpart of the binary neutron star merger LIGO/Virgo GW170817. I. Discovery of the optical counterpart using the dark energy camera, Astrophys. J. Lett. 848, L16 (2017).
  87. F. Calore, P. Carenza, C. Eckner, M. Giannotti, G. Lucente, A. Mirizzi, and F. Sivo, Uncovering axionlike particles in supernova gamma-ray spectra, Phys. Rev. D 109, 043010 (2024).
  88. A. De Angelis et al. (e-ASTROGAM Collaboration), The e-ASTROGAM mission, Exp. Astron. 44, 25 (2017).
  89. R. Caputo et al., All-sky medium energy gamma-ray observatory eXplorer mission concept, J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst. 8, 044003 (2022).
  90. M. Ajello et al. (Fermi-LAT Collaboration), Fermi large area telescope performance after 10 years of operation, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 256, 12 (2021).
  91. T. Aramaki, P. Hansson Adrian, G. Karagiorgi, and H. Odaka, Dual MeV gamma-ray and dark matter observatory—GRAMS project, Astropart. Phys. 114, 107 (2020).
  92. T. Dzhatdoev and E. Podlesnyi, Massive Argon Space Telescope (MAST): A concept of heavy time projection chamber for γ-ray astronomy in the 100 MeV–1 TeV energy range, Astropart. Phys. 112, 1 (2019).
  93. E. Müller, P. Carenza, C. Eckner, and A. Goobar, Constraining MeV-scale axionlike particles with Fermi-LAT observations of SN 2023ixf, Phys. Rev. D 109, 023018 (2024).
  94. P. Carenza and P. De la Torre Luque, Detecting neutrino-boosted axion dark matter in the MeV gap, Eur. Phys. J. C 83, 110 (2023).
  95. 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).
  96. 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).
  97. D. Noordhuis, A. Prabhu, S. J. Witte, A. Y. Chen, F. Cruz, and C. Weniger, Novel constraints on axions produced in pulsar polar-cap cascades, Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 111004 (2023).
  98. H.-J. Li, W. Chao, and Y.-F. Zhou, Upper limit on the axion-photon coupling from Markarian 421, Phys. Lett. B 858, 139075 (2024).
  99. O. Ning and B. R. Safdi, Leading axion-photon sensitivity with NuSTAR observations of M82 and M87, Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 171003 (2025).
  100. N. Pol, M. McLaughlin, and D. R. Lorimer, Future prospects for ground-based gravitational wave detectors—The Galactic double neutron star merger rate revisited, Astrophys. J. 870, 71 (2019); 874, 186(E) (2019).
  101. B. P. Abbott et al. (KAGRA, LIGO Scientific, and Virgo Collaborations), Prospects for observing and localizing gravitational-wave transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA, Living Rev. Relativity 19, 1 (2016).
  102. R. Pillera (Fermi-LAT Collaboration), Science highlights of the Fermi-LAT, Nuovo Cimento C 47, 73 (2024).
  103. M. Maggiore et al. (ET Collaboration), Science case for the Einstein Telescope, J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 03 (2020) 050.
  104. M. Evans et al., A horizon study for Cosmic Explorer: Science, observatories, and community, arXiv:2109.09882.

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. D 112, 023001– Published 1 July, 2025
  • Received 15 April 2025
  • Accepted 2 June 2025
Crossmark - Check for updates button
Creative Commons Logo

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

Published by the American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation