Latest results from the CERN Axion Solar Telescope

Abstract

The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) experiment searches for axions from the Sun converted into few keV photons via the inverse Primakoff effect in the high magnetic field of a superconducting Large Hadron Collider (LHC) decommissioned test magnet. After results obtained with vacuum in the magnet pipes (phase I of the experiment) as well as with 4He the collaboration is now immersed in the data taking with 3He. The status of the experiment will be presented, including a preliminary indication of the axion parameter space explored up to now. CAST is currently sensitive to realistic QCD axion models at the sub-eV scale, and with axion-photon couplings in the range down to the ∼ 2 × 10-10 GeV-1, compatible with solar life limits. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.