What is MADMAX?
- MADMAX stands for Magnetised Disk and Mirror Axion Experiment.
- It is a research initiative designed to detect dark matter: axions and dark photons.
- The detector consists of a stack of dielectric (sapphire) disks and a reflective mirror, forming a resonator system.
What are Dark Photons?
- Dark photons are hypothetical particles similar to photons (light particles) but with mass.
- They are proposed components of galactic dark matter halos.
- Under specific conditions, dark photons can convert into ordinary photons, with the frequency of conversion depending on the mass of the dark photon.
How does the MADMAX Detector Work?
- The core detection mechanism involves boosting the conversion of dark photons to microwave photons.
- This is achieved using a resonator composed of parallel dielectric disks that enhance conversion probabilities.
- A curved mirror focuses the resulting microwave signals into a horn antenna that connects to a microwave receiver.
Key Features of the MADMAX Setup
- Resonators larger than the wavelength of expected dark photon signals, enabling detection at higher frequencies (~20 GHz).
- Ability to tune resonance frequencies by adjusting disk positions, thereby expanding the mass range coverage.
- Signal identification relies on detecting a narrow peak in Fourier space that stands out from thermal noise.
Experimental Findings
- The first prototype run did not detect dark photon signals.
- However, the instrument functioned successfully, detecting signals with a sensitivity three orders of magnitude better than prior methods.
- This run covered a previously unexplored range of parameters in just one experiment.
