A search for heavy axion-like particles in light-by-light scattering at the FCC-hh

Abstract

A virtual production of heavy axion-like particles (ALPs) via light-by-light scattering in pp, pPb and Pb collisions at the future 100 TeV collider FCC-hh is studied. Both differential and total cross sections are calculated. The 95\% C.L. exclusion limits, as well as $3\sigma$ and $5\sigma$ discovery limits on an ALP coupling constant versus ALP mass $m_a$ are given, using integrated luminosities of 30 ab${}^{-1}$, 27 pb${}^{-1}$ and 110 nb${}^{-1}$. Our results are compared with the current LHC bounds. The strongest limit on the ALP coupling is obtained if $m_a\simeq 250$ GeV for the PbPb collisions, and if $m_a\simeq 1$ TeV for pp or pPb collisions. This suggests that the FCC-hh has a great physics potential of searching for the heavy ALPs.

Comments: 31 pages, 5 figures, version for the JHEP