NuSTAR as an Axion Helioscope: probing axion-nucleon and axion-electron couplings

Abstract

We investigate solar X-ray observations as a probe of axions and axion-like particles. These particles can be produced in the interior of the Sun via the conversion of thermal photons, as well as through processes involving axion-electron and axion-nucleon interactions. The resulting axions can then reconvert into photons in the Sun's atmospheric magnetic field, generating a signal in the X-ray energy range. In this work, we derive new limits on axions using X-ray observations with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) during the 2020 solar minimum. In the regime where ALP production is dominated by couplings to electrons or nucleons, we obtain bounds on the product of couplings $g_{ae}\cdot g_{aγ}\lesssim 1.1\times10^{-24}\,\rm GeV^{-1}$ and $g_{aN}^{\rm eff}\cdot g_{aγ}\lesssim 2.3\times 10^{-19}\,\rm GeV^{-1}$ at 95% CL, for axion masses $m_a\lesssim10^{-6}\,\rm eV$. These constraints strongly improve current ground-based experimental limits, establishing solar X-ray observations as a powerful and robust method for axion searches.