Exploring Axion-like Particles with Nearby Supernovae

Abstract:  Axion-like particles (ALPs) are hypothetical pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons which are a candidate of dark matter. Since they couple with photons, ALPs can be produced in hot astrophysical plasma. Once produced, ALPs decay into photons which may be observable with gamma-ray telescopes. I calculated the ALP emission from a thermonuclear (i.e. type Ia) supernova and a massive star in the final stage of stellar evolution. It is shown that gamma-rays that originate from ALPs can be a target of next-generation gamma-ray telescopes and provide an independent constraint on ALP parameters. Also, ALPs may affect energy transfer in core-collapse supernovae. I will mention a preliminary result on supernova explosion aided by heavy ALPs.