Decay photons from the axionlike particles burst of type II supernovae
J. Jaeckel (Institut für theoretische Physik, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany); P. C. Malta (Institut für theoretische Physik, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF), Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150, CEP 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil); J. Redondo (University of Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain, Max Planck Institut für Physik (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut), Föhringer Ring 6, 80805 Munich, Germany)
We determine limits from SN 1987A on massive axionlike particles with masses in the 10 keV–100 MeV range and purely coupled to two photons. Axionlike particles produced in the core collapse escape from the star and decay into photons that can be observed as a delayed and diffuse burst. We discuss the time and angular distribution of such a signal. Looking into the future, we also estimate the possible improvements caused by better gamma-ray detectors or the explosion of the red supergiant Betelgeuse in a supernova event.
