Search for Quintessence-Like Pseudoscalar Dark Energy Effects on $^{56}\text{Fe}$ Nuclear Transition Energies in Supernova 1991T

Abstract

The nature of dark energy remains one of the most important unanswered problems in physics. Here we use observations of the Type Ia supernova 1991T to constrain the recent evolution of a dynamical pseudoscalar quintessence-like field $Q(t)$ by comparing the gamma ray spectra emitted by the $^{56}\text{Fe}$ nuclei observed by COMPTEL aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory to terrestrial values. We found that the average fractional energy shift of both the first and second excited states is $δE/E = -0.006\pm0.008$, including statistical and systematic errors, indicating that the energies of these astrophysical gamma rays are consistent with the gamma rays produced in terrestrial labs. Assuming that any energy shift is caused by a dynamical QCD axion-like pseudoscalar field $Q(t)$, the observed energy deviations are consistent with a fractional rate of change of the pion mass at the $68\%$ Gaussian limit given by $ 3\times10^{-11} \geq \dot{m_π}/m_π\geq-15\times10^{-11}\text{ yr}^{-1}$. The observed energy deviation was also used to determine the rate of change of the quintessence-like field ($\dot{Q}_0$) for tracking models: $ -1\times10^7\leq \dot{Q}_{\rm 0} \leq 7\times10^7 \text{ GeV/yr}$. This upper limit on $\dot{Q}_0$ results in a fractional kinetic energy $Ω_{KE}\leq0.029$ and equation of state $-1.0\leq w_{Q}\leq-0.92$, which are consistent with the cosmological constant ($\dot{Q}_0 =0$, $Ω_{KE}=0$, and $w=-1.0$). Finally, these results were complemented by cosmological observations to place limits on the tracker model decay constant coefficient and tracking power potential.