CAPP-8TB: Search for axion dark matter in a mass range of 6.62 to 7.04 μeV

Abstract

The axion is a hypothetical particle proposed to solve the strong CP problem, and also a candidate for dark matter. This non-relativistic particle in the galactic halo can be converted into a photon under a strong magnetic field and detected with a microwave resonant cavity. Relying on this detection method, many experiments have excluded some mass regions with certain sensitivities in terms of axion-photon coupling (gaγγ) for decades, but no axion dark matter has been discovered to date. CAPP-8TB is another axion haloscope experiment at IBS/CAPP designed to search for the axion in a mass range of 6.62 to 7.04 μeV. The experiment aims for the most sensitive axion dark matter search in this particular mass range with its first-phase sensitivity reaching the QCD axion band. In this presentation, we discuss the overview of the experiment, and present the first result. We also discuss an upgrade of the experiment to achieve higher sensitivity.