3 research outputs found
Search for solar axions using Li-7
We describe a novel approach to the search for solar, near-monochromatic
hadronic axions, the latter being suggested to be created in the solar core
during M1 transitions between the first excited level of Li-7, at 478 keV, and
the ground state. As a result of Doppler broadening, in principle these axions
can be detected via resonant absorption by the same nuclide on the Earth.
Excited nuclei of Li-7 are produced in the solar interior by Be-7 electron
capture and thus the axions are accompanied by emission of Be-7 solar neutrinos
of energy 384 keV. An experiment was made which has yielded an upper limit on
hadronic axion mass of 32 keV at the 95% confidence level.Comment: revtex, 4 pages with 2 figures, title revised, minor changes, matches
version to appear in Phys. Rev.