Probing MeV to 90 GeV axion-like particles with LEP and LHC

Abstract

Axion-like particles (ALPs), relatively light (pseudo-)scalars coupled to two gauge bosons, are a common feature of many extensions of the Standard Model. Up to now there has been a gap in the sensitivity to such particles in the MeV to 10 GeV range. In this note we show that LEP data on $Z\to \gamma \gamma$ decays provides significant constraints in this range (and indeed up to the $Z$-mass). We also discuss the sensitivities of LHC and future colliders. Particularly the LHC shows promising sensitivity in searching for a pseudo-scalar with $4\lesssim m_a\lesssim 60$ GeV in the channel $pp\to 3\gamma$ with $m_{3\gamma }\approx m_Z$.

Comments: 12 pages, 5 figures