Mississippi State Axion Search: A Light Shining though a Wall ALP Search

The elegant solutions to the strong CP problem predict the existence of a particle called axion. Thus, the search for axion like particles (ALP) has been an ongoing endeavor. The possibility that these axion like particles couple to photons in presence of magnetic field gives rise to a technique of detecting these particles known as light shining through a wall (LSW). Mississippi State Axion Search (MASS) is an experiment employing the LSW technique in search for axion like particles. The apparatus consists of two radio frequency (RF) cavities, both under the influence of strong magnetic field and separated by a lead wall. While one of the cavities houses a strong RF generator, the other cavity houses the detector systems. The MASS apparatus looks for excesses in RF photons that tunnel through the wall as a signature of candidate axion-like particles. The concept behind the experiment as well as the projected sensitivities are presented here.Comment: Xth Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs; 4 Pages, 5 figure

Measurement of material thickness using X-ray attenuation

The experiment will measure the thickness of a thin aluminum foil by sending a beam of x-rays through the foil. The thickness of the foil is related to the difference in the intensity of x-rays that pass through the aluminum window and the initial intensity of the x-ray source. The intensity is also related to a property of the material known as its attenuation coefficient. To calculate the attenuation coefficient, another foil with known thickness, mass, and surface density is used to calculate the attenuation coefficient