Axion-photon conversion down to the nonrelativistic regime

Abstract

In the presence of a magnetic field, axions can convert into photons and vice versa. The phenomenology of the conversion is captured by a system of two coupled Klein-Gordon equations, which, assuming that the axion is relativistic, is usually recast into a pair of first-order Schrödinger-like equations. In such a limit, focusing on a constant magnetic field and plasma frequency, the equations admit an exact analytic solution. The relativistic limit significantly simplifies the calculations and, therefore, it is widely used in phenomenological applications. In this work, we discuss how to evaluate the axion-photon system evolution without relying on such relativistic approximation. In particular, we give an exact analytical solution, valid for any axion energy, in the case that both the magnetic field and plasma frequency are constant. Moreover, we devise an analytic perturbative expansion that allows for tracking the conversion probability in a slightly inhomogeneous magnetic field or plasma frequency, whose characteristic scale of variation is much larger than the typical axion-photon oscillation length. Finally, we discuss a case of resonant axion-photon conversion giving useful simplified formulae that might be directly applied to dark matter axions converting in neutron star magnetospheres. Published by the American Physical Society 2025