Search for photoproduction of axionlike particles at GlueX

Abstract

We present a search for axionlike particles, a, produced in photon-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of approximately 4 GeV, focusing on the scenario where the a-gluon coupling is dominant. The search uses a→γγ and a→π+π-π0 decays, and a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 168 pb-1 collected with the GlueX detector. The search for a→γγ decays is performed in the mass range of 180<ma<480 MeV, while the search for a→π+π-π0 decays explores the 600<ma<720 MeV region. No evidence for a signal is found, and 90% confidence-level exclusion limits are placed on the a-gluon coupling strength. These constraints are the most stringent to date over much of the mass ranges considered. © 2022 authors. Published by the American Physical Society