IceCube's Sensitivity Prospects to MeV-Scale Axion-Like Particles from Core-Collapse Supernovae

TL;DR

This work tackles the problem of detecting MeV-scale axion-like particles (ALPs) produced in core-collapse supernovae with IceCube. It develops a detector-level framework that links ALP production in the proto-neutron star via channels such as $N+N \to N+N + a$ and $π^- + p \to n + a$ to propagation and interactions in ice, including nuclear-excitation and radiative processes that yield gamma cascades and leptons, which then generate Cherenkov light. By folding the resulting particle cascades through a fast IceCube detector response, the study forecasts direct detection prospects and time-delay constraints relative to the neutrino burst for ALP masses from $1\,\mathrm{MeV}$ up to several hundred $\mathrm{MeV}$ and nucleon couplings $g_{aN}$. Preliminary results suggest IceCube could detect ALP signals from Galactic CCSNe (Milky Way, LMC, SMC) under benchmark couplings, with a full horizon and exclusion potential to be detailed in future work. The framework also lays groundwork for extending to other MeV-scale dark-sector particles and provides a concrete, detector-level path toward complementary constraints to SN1987A cooling bounds and gamma-ray probes.

Abstract

We present a novel framework to estimate the sensitivity and discovery potential of IceCube to axion-like particles (ALPs) produced in core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), covering ALP masses from 1 MeV to several hundred MeV. A key feature of this work is the explicit handling of the final-state leptons produced in ALP interactions with $^{16}$O nuclei and protons, which can generate Cherenkov light detectable in IceCube. These processes are being fully integrated into a detector-level simulation chain, enabling realistic detector signal modeling beyond existing estimates. The framework enables sensitivity forecasts for both direct detection and constraints based on time delays relative to the neutrino burst, across a range of ALP emission models. This approach may also extend to other MeV-scale dark sector particles. Preliminary sensitivity estimates are in progress and will be presented.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Axion-like particle flux from a Core-collapse Supernova at a distance of 1 kpc for different coupling strengths. Reproduced from AlonsoDelayedSignal.
• Figure 2: IceCube detection significance as a function of distance for an ALP flux like that of Fig. \ref{['fig:alp_flux']} for the O16 interaction channel. We set a cut-off of $\xi=5$, which can be approximated to 5$\sigma$.