The X-ray Telescope of the CAST Experiment
Authors:
- R. KotthausRKR. Kotthaus
- H. BraeuningerHBH. Braeuninger
- P. FriedrichPFP. Friedrich
- R. HartmannRHR. Hartmann
- D. KangDKD. Kang
- M. KusterMKM. Kuster
- G. LutzGLG. Lutz
- L. StruederLSL. Strueder
Preprint
Abstract
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) searches for solar axions employing a 9 Tesla superconducting dipole magnet equipped with 3 independent detection systems for X-rays from axion-photon conversions inside the 10 m long magnetic field. Results of the first 6 months of data taking in 2003 imply a 95 % CL upper limit on the axion-photon coupling constant of 1.16x10(-10) GeV(-1) for axion masses < 0.02 eV. The most sensitive detector of CAST is a X-ray telescope consisting of a Wolter I type mirror system and a fully depleted pn-CCD as focal plane detector. Exploiting the full potential of background suppression by focussing X-rays emerging from the magnet bore, the axion sensitivity obtained with telescope data taken in 2004, for the first time in a controlled laboratory experiment, will supersede axion constraints derived from stellar energy loss arguments.Keywords
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