Modeling of axion and electromagnetic fields interaction in particle-in-cell simulations

An Xiangyan; Chen Min; Liu Jianglai; Sheng Zhengming; Zhang Jie

doi:10.1063/5.0226159

Volume 9 Issue 6

Nov. 2024

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An Xiangyan, Chen Min, Liu Jianglai, Sheng Zhengming, Zhang Jie. Modeling of axion and electromagnetic fields interaction in particle-in-cell simulations[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2024, 9(6): 067204. doi: 10.1063/5.0226159

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An Xiangyan, Chen Min, Liu Jianglai, Sheng Zhengming, Zhang Jie. Modeling of axion and electromagnetic fields interaction in particle-in-cell simulations[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2024, 9(6): 067204. doi: 10.1063/5.0226159

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Modeling of axion and electromagnetic fields interaction in particle-in-cell simulations

doi: 10.1063/5.0226159

An Xiangyan^{1, 2, 3
,
,},
Chen Min^{1, 2
,
,
,},
Liu Jianglai³,
Sheng Zhengming^{1, 2, 3
,},
Zhang Jie^{1, 2, 3
,}

1.
Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
2.
Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
3.
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: minchen@sjtu.edu.cn
Received Date: 2024-06-29
Accepted Date: 2024-08-21

Available Online: 2024-11-01

Publish Date: 2024-11-01

Abstract

Abstract

The axion, a theoretically well-motivated particle, has been searched for extensively via its hypothetical interactions with ordinary matter and fields. Recently, a new axion detection approach has been considered utilizing the ultra-intense electromagnetic fields produced by laser–plasma interactions. However, a detailed simulation tool has not hitherto been available to help understand the axion-coupled laser–plasma interactions in such a complex environment. In this paper, we report a custom-developed particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation method that incorporates the axion field, the electromagnetic fields, and their interactions. The axion field equation and modified Maxwell’s equations are numerically solved, with the axion-induced modulation of the electromagnetic field being treated as a first-order perturbation to handle the huge orders of magnitude difference between the two types of field. The simulation is benchmarked with well-studied effects such as axion–photon conversion and the propagation of an extremely weak laser pulse in a magnetized plasma. Such an extended PIC simulation provides a powerful tool to study axions under ultra-intense electromagnetic fields in the laboratory or in astrophysical processes.

Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
Author Contributions
Xiangyan An: Conceptualization (equal); Formal analysis (equal); Software (equal); Validation (equal); Visualization (equal); Writing – original draft (equal). Min Chen: Conceptualization (equal); Funding acquisition (equal); Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Jianglai Liu: Conceptualization (equal); Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Zhengming Sheng: Supervision (equal); Validation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). Jie Zhang: Supervision (equal); Validation (equal).
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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References(63)

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