Searching for axionlike particles with low masses in $pPb$ and $PbPb$ collisions

The production of axionlike particles (ALPs) with small masses in ultraperipheral $Pb - p$ and $Pb - Pb$ collisions at the LHC is investigated. The cross section and kinematical distributions associated to the diphoton final state produced in the $\gamma \gamma \rightarrow a \rightarrow \gamma \gamma$ subprocesses are estimated considering a realistic set of kinematical cuts. A detailed analysis of the backgrounds is performed and the expected sensitivity to the ALP production is derived. Our results demonstrate that a future experimental analysis of the exclusive diphoton production for the forward rapidities probed by the LHCb detector can improve the existing exclusion limits on the ALP - photon coupling in the mass range 2 GeV $\le m_a \le$ 5 GeV.