First results on the search for chameleons with the KWISP detector at CAST

(CAST Collaboration) Arguedas Cuendis, S. ; Baier, J. ; Barth, K. ; Baum, S. ; Bayirli, A. ; Belov, A. ; Bräuninger, H. ; Cantatore, G. ; Carmona, J.M. ; Castel, J.F. ; Cetin, S.A. ; Dafni, T. ; Davenport, M. ; Dermenev, A. ; Desch, K. ; Döbrich, B. ; Fischer, H. ; Funk, W. ; García, J.A. ; Gardikiotis, A. ; Garza, J.G. ; Gninenko, S. ; Hasinoff, M.D. ; Hoffmann, D.H.H. ; Iguaz, F.J. ; Irastorza, I.G. ; Jakovčić, Krešimir ; Kaminski, J. ; Karuza, Marin ; Krieger, C. ; Lakić, Biljana ; Laurent, J.M. ; Luzón, G. ; Maroudas, M. ; Miceli, L. ; Neff, S. ; Ortega, I. ; Ozbey, A. ; Pivovaroff, M.J. ; Rosu, M. ; Ruz, J. ; Chóliz, E. Ruiz ; Schmidt, S. ; Schumann, M. ; Semertzidis, Y.K. ; Solanki, S.K. ; Stewart, L. ; Tsagris, I. ; Vafeiadis, T. ; Vogel, J.K. ; Vretenar, Mario ; Yildiz, S.C. ; Zioutas, K. (2019) First results on the search for chameleons with the KWISP detector at CAST. Physics of the Dark Universe, 26 . ISSN 2212-6864

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Abstract

We report on a first measurement with a sensitive opto-mechanical force sensor designed for the direct detection of coupling of real chameleons to matter. These dark energy candidates could be produced in the Sun and stream unimpeded to Earth. The KWISP detector installed on the CAST axion search experiment at CERN looks for tiny displacements of a thin membrane caused by the mechanical effect of solar chameleons. The displacements are detected by a Michelson interferometer with a homodyne readout scheme. The sensor benefits from the focusing action of the ABRIXAS X-ray telescope installed at CAST, which increases the chameleon flux on the membrane. A mechanical chopper placed between the telescope output and the detector modulates the incoming chameleon stream. We present the results of the solar chameleon measurements taken at CAST in July 2017, setting an upper bound on the force acting on the membrane of 80 pN at 95% confidence level. The detector is sensitive for direct coupling to matter 10^4≤βm≤10^8, where the coupling to photons is locally bound to βγ≤10^11.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	chameleons ; dark energy ; opto-mechanical sensor ; interferometry
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Physics
Divisions:	Division of Experimental Physics
Depositing User:	Krešimir Jakovčić
Date Deposited:	03 Dec 2019 14:27
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/5211
DOI:	10.1016/j.dark.2019.100367

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