An improved RF cavity search for halo axions

Abstract

The axion is a hypothetical elementary particle and cold dark matter candidate. In this RF cavity experiment, halo axions entering a resonant cavity immersed in a static magnetic field convert into microwave photons, with the resulting photons detected by a low-noise receiver. I present new limits on the axion-to-photon coupling and local axion dark matter halo mass density from a RF cavity axion search in the axion mass range 1.9-2.3 [mu]eV, broadening the search range to 1.9-3.3 [mu]eV. In addition, I report first results from an improved analysis technique, which improves the experiment sensitivity by 13%.