Constraints on Axion-like Dark Matter from Cosmic Birefringence with a Polarization Array of Repeating Fast Radio Bursts
astro-ph.HE, hep-ph
Submitted: 2026-09-21
Updated: 2026-09-21
Comments: 23 pages, 4 figures
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The gist: Axion-like dark matter (ALDM) is a well-motivated dark matter candidate whose Chern-Simons coupling to photons can induce cosmic birefringence, producing temporal oscillations and spatial correlation
Terminology
Abstract
Axion-like dark matter (ALDM) is a well-motivated dark matter candidate whose Chern-Simons coupling to photons can induce cosmic birefringence, producing temporal oscillations and spatial correlation in polarization angle (PA) signals from different sources. Hyperactive repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) with high linear polarization are a particularly promising probe of such signatures. We develop a Bayesian framework to search for PA oscillations caused by ALDM in individual repeating FRBs, and combine multiple sources in an FRB polarization array (FRBPA) by exploiting correlations arising from the common Earth term. We apply this framework to PA datasets from three well-studied hyperactive repeating FRBs, and constrain the Chern-Simons coupling over a broad range of ALDM masses. For each FRB, we estimate the dark matter density at its host location using a simulation-calibrated halo profile. The inferred dark matter densities are comparable to the fiducial local density ρ 0 = 0.4 GeV/cm cubed. The comparable source and Earth dark matter densities, together with the redshift-induced difference between the frequencies of the source and Earth terms, motivate our adoption of the full two-component birefringence model. We find no compelling evidence for ALDM-induced PA oscillations in either the individual source analyses or the joint FRBPA analysis. We place 95% credible upper limits on the Chern-Simons coupling strength as a function of ALDM mass. Across the axion mass from 10-23 to 10-18 eV, the resulting upper limits of the coupling strength of FRBPA lie between 10-12.6 and 10-7.9 GeV-1. Our results establish long-term polarimetric monitoring of hyperactive repeating FRBs as a promising and independent probe of ALDM, with sensitivity expected to improve with longer observational baselines and larger source samples.
Sources
- GWTC-5.0: Tests of General Relativity
- Galaxy-Scale Test of General Relativity with Strong Gravitational Lensing
- The double neutron star PSR J1946+2052 I. Masses and tests of general relativity
- Planck 2018 results. VI. Cosmological parameters
- Axion Cosmology
- Ultralight scalars as cosmological dark matter
- Axion Astrophysics
- Milky Way Satellite Census. III. Constraints on Dark Matter Properties from Observations of Milky Way Satellite Galaxies
- Strong bound on canonical ultra-light axion dark matter from the Lyman-alpha forest
- Narrowing the mass range of Fuzzy Dark Matter with Ultra-faint Dwarfs
- Not so fuzzy: excluding FDM with sizes and stellar kinematics of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies
- The Importance of Quantum Pressure of Fuzzy Dark Matter on Lyman-Alpha Forest
- Ultra-Light Dark Matter
- Particle initialization effects on Lyman-$\alpha$ forest statistics in cosmological SPH simulations
- New CAST Limit on the Axion-Photon Interaction
- Revisiting the SN1987A gamma-ray limit on ultralight axion-like particles
- New constraints on light Axion-Like Particles using Chandra Transmission Grating Spectroscopy of the powerful cluster-hosted quasar H1821+643
- Searching for axion dark matter gegenschein of the Vela supernova remnant with FAST
- Investigating the light curve variation of magnetic white dwarfs induced by the axion-photon conversion
- Search for Axion-Like Particles from Nearby Pre-Supernova Stars
Related papers
- Numerical Studies of Accretion Flows onto a Neutron Star Engulfed in a Massive Star
- Collisionless Accretion of Finite-Angular-Momentum Plasma onto a Spinning Black Hole
- Impact of Magnetic Field Topology on Electromagnetic and Gravitational Waves from Binary Neutron Star Merger Remnants
- XRISM Resolve Spectroscopy of GX 5-1: Constraints on Iron Spectral Features in a Luminous Neutron-Star Binary
- SN 1006: A Cosmic Laboratory for Investigating Shock Acceleration Physics
- Neutrino Spectral Pinching in 3D Core-Collapse Supernovae: Late-Time Convergence, Failed-Explosion Signatures, and Viewing-Angle Dispersion