Prospects for solar axion searches with crystals via Bragg scattering

A calculation of the expected signal due to Primakov coherent conversion of solar axions into photons via Bragg scattering in several solid-state detectors is presented and compared with present and future experimental sensitivities. The axion window ma > or approx. 0.03 eV (not accessible at present by other techniques) could be explored in the foreseeable future with crystal detectors to constrain the axion-photon coupling constant gaγγ below the latest bounds coming from helioseismology. On the contrary a positive signal in the sensitivity region of such devices would imply revisiting other more stringent astrophysical limits derived for the same range of the axion mass. The application of this technique to the COSME germanium detector which is taking data at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory leads to a 95% C.L. limit gaγγ ≤ 2.8 x 10-9 GeV-1