MADMAX

MADMAX Latest News

The MADMAX collaboration has published the first results of its search for dark photons using a prototype detector.

What is MADMAX?

• MADMAX stands for Magnetised Disk and Mirror Axion Experiment.
• It is a research initiative designed to detect dark matter candidates such as axions and dark photons.
• The detector consists of a stack of dielectric (sapphire) disks and a reflective mirror, forming a resonator system.

What are Dark Photons?

• Dark photons are hypothetical particles similar to photons (light particles) but with mass.
• They are proposed components of galactic dark matter halos.
• Under specific conditions, dark photons can convert into ordinary photons, with the frequency of conversion depending on the mass of the dark photon.

How does the MADMAX Detector Work?

• The core detection mechanism involves boosting the conversion of dark photons to microwave photons.
• This is achieved using a resonator composed of parallel dielectric disks that enhance conversion probabilities.
• A curved mirror focuses the resulting microwave signals into a horn antenna that connects to a microwave receiver.

Key Features of the MADMAX Setup

• Resonators larger than the wavelength of expected dark photon signals, enabling detection at higher frequencies (~20 GHz).
• Ability to tune resonance frequencies by adjusting disk positions, thereby expanding the mass range coverage.
• Signal identification relies on detecting a narrow peak in Fourier space that stands out from thermal noise.

Experimental Findings

• The first prototype run did not detect dark photon signals.
• However, the instrument functioned successfully, detecting signals with a sensitivity three orders of magnitude better than prior methods.
• This run covered a previously unexplored range of parameters in just one experiment.

MADMAX FAQs

Q1: What are axions?
Ans: Axions are hypothetical elementary particles proposed to solve the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD).

Q2: Why are axions significant in physics?
Ans: They are strong candidates for cold dark matter, which is believed to make up most of the universe’s mass.

Q3: What are dark photons?
Ans: Dark photons are theoretical particles that may mediate interactions in the dark matter sector, similar to how regular photons mediate electromagnetic interactions.

Source: PHY