The MeerKAT Thousand-Pulsar Polarisation Array II: Searches for Ultralight Axion-Like Dark Matter

We construct Pulsar Polarisation Arrays (PPA), using regular pulsars monitored in MeerKAT’s Thousand Pulsar Array (TPA) Programme, to search for Axion-like Dark Matter (ALDM) within Milky Way. Specifically, from a catalogue of 1237 regular pulsars, we select the 50 ones with the highest signal-to-noise ratio and set upper limits on the ALDM Chern-Simons coupling. We find no signals with statistical significance over the mass range of $[{10}^{-23},{10}^{-20}]\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$ in the six-year MeerKAT’s data. By combining the high-quality TPA pulsars and the accurate ionospheric subtraction of spinifex, we establish the most sensitive upper limits to the date on the ALDM Chern-Simons coupling, namely $\lesssim {10}^{-14}-3\times {10}^{-13}{\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}}^{-1}$, for the mass range of $[{10}^{-23},{10}^{-21}]\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$ except at $m_a\sim 1.3\times {10}^{-22}$eV. This study underscores the great potential of constructing regular-pulsar PPAs for scientific tasks.