We investigate the cosmological constraints on axion models where the domain wall number is greater than one. In these models, multiple domain walls attached to strings are formed, and they survive for a long time. Their annihilation occurs due to the effects of explicit symmetry breaking term which might be raised by Planck-scale physics. We perform three-dimensional lattice simulations and compute the spectra of axions and gravitational waves produced by long-lived domain walls. Using the numerical results, we estimated relic density of axions and gravitational waves. We find that the existence of long-lived domain walls leads to the overproduction of cold dark matter axions, while the density of gravitational waves is too small to observe at the present time. Combining the results with other observational constraints, we find that the whole parameter region of models are excluded unless an unacceptable fine-tuning exists.
The domain wall problem of the Peccei-Quinn mechanism can be solved if the Peccei-Quinn symmetry is explicitly broken by a small amount. Domain walls decay into axions, which may account for dark matter of the universe. This scheme is however strongly constrained by overproduction of axions unless the phase of the explicit breaking term is tuned. We investigate the case where the universe is matter-dominated around the temperature of the MeV scale and domain walls decay during this matter dominated epoch. We show how the viable parameter space is expanded.
We study the parameter space of cold dark matter axions in two cosmological scenarios with non-standard thermal histories before Big Bang nucleosynthesis: the Low Temperature Reheating (LTR) cosmology and the kination cosmology. If the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaks during inflation, we find more allowed parameter space in the LTR cosmology than in the standard cosmology and less in the kination cosmology. On the contrary, if the Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaks after inflation, the Peccei-Quinn scale is orders of magnitude higher than standard in the LTR cosmology and lower in the kination cosmolog…
We review recent developments on axion cosmology. Topics include : axion cold dark matter, axions from topological defects, axion isocurvature perturbation and its non-Gaussianity and axino/saxion cosmology in supersymmetric axion model.
The default assumption of early universe cosmology is that the postinflationary universe was radiation dominated until it was about 47000 years old. Direct evidence for the radiation dominated epoch extends back until nucleosynthesis, which began during the first second. However there are theoretical reasons to prefer a period of earlier matter domination, prior to nucleosynthesis, e.g. due to late decaying massive particles needed to explain baryogenesis. Axion cosmology is quantitatively affected by an early period of matter domination, with a different axion mass range preferred and greater…
The axion is a motivated cold dark matter candidate, which it would be interesting to distinguish from weakly interacting massive particles. Sikivie has suggested that axions could behave differently during non-linear galaxy evolution, if they form a Bose-Einstein condensate, and argues that ``gravitational thermalisation'' drives them to a Bose-Einstein condensate during the radiation dominated era. Using classical equations of motion during linear structure formation, we explore whether the gravitational interactions of axions can generate entropy. At linear order in Newton's constant, we in…
We study axion cosmology in a 5D Universe, in the case of flat and warped extra dimension. The comparison between theoretical predictions and observations constrains the 5D axion decay constant and the 5D Planck mass, which has to be taken into account in building 5D axion models. The framework developed in this paper can be readily applied to other bulk fields in brane universes.
In our previous work [Phys. Rev. D 101 (2020) 075046], we have proposed to install FAr Detectors at the Electron Positron Collider (FADEPC) to enhance the discovery potential of long-lived particles (LLPs). In this study, we consider eight designs of far detectors with different locations, volumes and geometries and investigate their potential for discovering long-lived axion-like particles (ALPs) via the process $e^-e^+ \rightarrow γ\,\, a,~ a \to γγ$ at future $e^{-}e^{+}$ colliders running at a center-of-mass energy of 91.2 GeV and integrated luminosities of 16, 150, and 750 ab$^{-1}$. We e…
Axion cosmology is reexamined taking into account effect of kinetic pseudo Nambu-Goldstone modes, with its importance recently pointed out. When Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry is broken by a chiral U(1) singlet, it is found that the effect of kinetic Nambu-Goldstone mode makes the axion dark matter untenable. When PQ symmetry is extended and is broken by two singlets, we find axion cosmology to work, but there are several differences from the axion cosmology studied in the literature. The differences are (1) ordinary type of dark matter scaling as $1/{\rm cosmic \; scale\; factor}^3$ arising from …
In supersymmetric theories, the Peccei-Quinn symmetry has a complex extension as a symmetry of the superpotential, so that the scalar potential always has an almost flat direction, the dilaton. We discuss how coherent oscillation of the dilaton affects axion cosmology. We stress that the dilaton decay, if its dominant mode is not into axions, releases large entropy at a late epoch of the Universe's evolution to dilute axion energy density and the upperbound of the decay constant is raised up to about $10^{15}$ GeV. The case of the M-theory axion is also discussed.
We discuss some cosmological aspects of supersymmetric axion models in which the axion scale is radiatively generated in terms of the weak scale and the Planck scale. They include thermal inflation, axions produced by the decay of oscillating Peccei-Quinn flatons, late time baryogenesis, and finally the possibility to raise up the cosmological upper bound on the axion scale in thermal inflation scenario.
The Dark Axion Portal provides a model for Dark Matter (DM) in which both Dark Photons $γ^\prime$ and Axions $a$ can contribute to the present day abundance of DM. We study the parameter space of the Dark Axion Portal to pinpoint regions of the parameter space where $γ^\prime$ and $a$ can be produced with sufficient abundance to account for the cosmic DM density, while still being detectable in planned direct detection and axion haloscope experiments. In particular, we explore the production of eV-scale Dark Photons in the Dark Axion Portal, taking into account a possible kinetic mixing betwee…
We propose a search for long lived axion-like particles (ALPs) in exotic top decays. Flavour-violating ALPs appear as low energy effective theories for various new physics scenarios such as t-channel dark sectors or Froggatt-Nielsen models. In this case the top quark may decay to an ALP and an up- or charm-quark. For masses in the few GeV range, the ALP is long lived across most of the viable parameter space, suggesting a dedicated search. We propose to search for these long lived ALPs in $t\bar{t}$ events, using one top quark as a trigger. We focus on ALPs decaying in the hadronic calorimeter…
In this lecture we review several cosmological issues associated with the axion. Axion solves the strong CP problem and is a good candidate for the dark matter. Limits, which are imposed by the value of isocurvature fluctuations fraction in the observed CMBR from WMAP data and the domain wall problem are discussed in a supersymmetric flat direction axion model.
We investigate the evolution of the bound state of negatively charged massive particles (CHAMPs) with light elements and discuss its cosmological consequences and the constraint. By numerically solving the Boltzmann equation, we study the time evolutions of such bound states. Since most of negative CHAMPs are captured by He4, its bound state is positively charged and couples with the electromagnetic plasma. When charged particles constitute a dominant non-relativistic component, density fluctuations of matter cannot grow due to the acoustic damping. This results in the suppression of matter po…
We investigate the impact of finite temperature effects on axions in the context of cosmology. The temperature dependence of the decay constant is modeled analogous to pions. For the two interesting cases considered here, we find that the temperature effects do lead to changes relevant for detailed and precise abundance and rate calculations. We also find that the axion decoupling temperature starts showing large deviations for larger values of the axion decay constant.
We study the early-universe cosmology of a Kaluza-Klein (KK) tower of scalar fields in the presence of a mass-generating phase transition, focusing on the time-development of the total tower energy density (or relic abundance) as well as its distribution across the different KK modes. We find that both of these features are extremely sensitive to the details of the phase transition and can behave in a variety of ways significant for late-time cosmology. In particular, we find that the interplay between the temporal properties of the phase transition and the mixing it generates are responsible …
The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) collaboration has recently reported strong evidence for a stochastic process affecting the 12.5 yr dataset of pulsar timing residuals. We show that the signal can be interpreted in terms of a stochastic gravitational wave background emitted from a network of axionic strings in the early Universe. The spontaneous breaking of the Peccei-Quinn symmetry originate the axionic string network and the QCD axion, the dark matter particle in the model. We explore a non-standard cosmological model driven by an exotic scalar field…
We study the topological susceptibility in 2+1 flavor QCD above the chiral crossover transition temperature using Highly Improved Staggered Quark action and several lattice spacings, corresponding to temporal extent of the lattice, $N_τ=6,8,10$ and $12$. We observe very distinct temperature dependences of the topological susceptibility in the ranges above and below $250$ MeV. While for temperatures above $250$ MeV, the dependence is found to be consistent with dilute instanton gas approximation, at lower temperatures the fall-off of topological susceptibility is milder. We discuss the conseque…
We present the results of a detailed study of how isocurvature axion fluctuations are converted into adiabatic metric perturbations through axion decay, and discuss the constraints on the parameters of pre-big bang cosmology needed for consistency with present CMB-anisotropy data. The large-scale normalization of temperature fluctuations has a non-trivial dependence both on the mass and on the initial value of the axion. In the simplest, minimal models of pre-big bang inflation, consistency with the COBE normalization requires a slightly tilted (blue) spectrum, while a strictly scale-invariant…
1. Introduction 2. Models: the QCD axion; the strong CP problem; PQWW, KSVZ, DFSZ; anomalies, instantons and the potential; couplings; axions in string theory 3. Production and I.C.'s: SSB and non-perturbative physics; the axion field during inflation and PQ SSB; cosmological populations - decay of parent, topological defects, thermal production, vacuum realignment 4. The Cosmological Field: action; background evolution; misalignment for QCD axion and ALPs; cosmological perturbation theory - i.c.'s, early time treatment, axion sound speed and Jeans scale, transfer functions and WDM; the Schrod…
Axions are produced during a period of dilaton-driven inflation by amplification of quantum fluctuations. We show that for some range of string cosmology parameters and some range of axion masses, primordial axions may constitute a large fraction of the present energy density in the universe in the form of cold dark matter. Due to the periodic nature of the axion potential energy density fluctuations are strongly suppressed. The spectrum of primordial axions is not thermal, allowing a small fraction of the axions to remain relativistic until quite late.
In the QCD axion scenario, a network of domain walls bounded by cosmic strings fragments into pieces. As these fragments collapse, some of them will form black holes. With standard QCD axion parameters, the black holes will have lunar masses ($M_{\rm bh} \sim 10^{-8}\, {\rm M}_\odot$). Even though their number density is difficult to estimate, arguments suggest that they can constitute a reasonable fraction of the critical cosmological density.
In theories of axion dark matter with large axion decay constant, temperature variations in the CMB are extremely sensitive to perturbations in the initial axion field, allowing one to place a lower bound on the total amount of inflation. The most stringent bound comes from axion strings, which for axion decay constant f=10^17 GeV would currently be observable at a distance of 6 x 10^16 light-years, nearly ten million times as far away as our horizon.
Various authors have noted that in particular models, the upper bound on the axion decay constant may not hold. We point out that within supersymmetry, this is a generic issue. For large decay constants, the cosmological problems associated with the axion's scalar partner are far more severe than those of the axion. We survey a variety of models, both for the axion multiplet and for cosmology, and find that in many cases where the cosmological problems of the saxion are solved, the usual upper bound on the axion is significantly relaxed. We discuss, more generally, the cosmological issues rais…
Many cosmological models rely on large couplings of axions to gauge fields. Examples include theories of magnetogenesis, inflation on a steep potential, chiral gravitational waves, and chromonatural inflation. Such theories require a mismatch between the axion field range and the mass scale appearing in the $a F \widetilde{F}$ coupling. This mismatch suggests an underlying monodromy, with the axion winding around its fundamental period a large number of times. We investigate the extent to which this integer can be explained as a product of smaller integers in a UV completion: in the parlance o…
Recently we have proposed a simple hadronic axion model within gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. In this paper we discuss various cosmological consequences of the model in great detail. A particular attention is paid to a saxion, a scalar partner of an axion, which is produced as a coherent oscillation in the early universe. We show that our model is cosmologically viable, if the reheating temperature of inflation is sufficiently low. We also discuss the late decay of the saxion which gives a preferable power spectrum of the density fluctuation in the standard cold dark matter model when …
Brown University（布朗大学）；New York University（纽约大学）；University of Chicago（芝加哥大学）；Johns Hopkins University（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学）；University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign（伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校）
A major goal of axion searches is to reach inside the parameter space region of realistic axion models. Currently, the boundaries of this region depend on somewhat arbitrary criteria, and it would be desirable to specify them in terms of precise phenomenological requirements. We consider hadronic axion models and classify the representations $R_Q$ of the new heavy quarks $Q$. By requiring that $i)$ the $Q$ are sufficiently short lived to avoid issues with long lived strongly interacting relics, $ii)$ no Landau poles are induced below the Planck scale, fifteen cases are selected, which define a…
We review the current status of axion cosmology in the light of recent work. We conclude that in the standard scenario, in which a global string network forms at the Peccei-Quinn phase transition, the largest contribution to the axion density is from loops, even when uncertainties in the nature of the QCD phase transition are taken into account. We also briefly discuss the implications of non-standard scenarios, such as an inflationary epoch and entropy production.
Non-canonical cosmology with an uplifted Higgs vacuum expectation value (Higgs-VEV) in the early universe is believed to provide the solution for existing tensions within the $Λ$CDM regime. We recently proposed a theoretical model called axi-Higgs to explore this framework. The axi-Higgs model features an ultralight axion with mass $m_a \sim 10^{-29}$ eV, which couples to the Higgs field such that the Higgs-VEV is driven by the axion background evolution. Phenomenologically, the axi-Higgs model is equivalent to $Λ$CDM+$m_e$+$ω_a$ which is defined as $Λ$CDM with electron mass variation and the …
We use the chiral Lagrangian to investigate the global properties of the $N$-flavor QCD vacuum as a function of the $θ$ parameter. In the case of exact quark degeneracy we find evidence for first order phase transitions at $θ= π\cdot ({\rm odd~ integer})$. The first order transitions are smoothed by quark mass splittings, although interesting effects remain at realistic quark masses. We emphasize the role of the $η'$ condensate in our analysis. Finally, we discuss the implications of our results on the internal hadronic structure of axion domain walls and axion cosmology.
If axions exist they are efficiently produced in the hot and dense interior of stars, providing a novel energy-loss mechanism. In order to avoid a conflict with the observed properties of stars, one can derive a lower limit on the Peccei-Quinn scale (an upper limit on the axion mass). In the early universe, axions are produced by the ``misalignment mechanism'' and the emission from global strings as well as the relaxation of the string-domain wall system formed at the QCD phase transition. In order to avoid an ``overclosed universe'' the Peccei-Quinn scale must obey an upper limit (a lower lim…
We survey observational constraints on the parameter space of inflation and axions and map out two allowed windows: the classic window and the inflationary anthropic window. The cosmology of the latter is particularly interesting; inflationary axion cosmology predicts the existence of isocurvature fluctuations in the CMB, with an amplitude that grows with both the energy scale of inflation and the fraction of dark matter in axions. Statistical arguments favor a substantial value for the latter, and so current bounds on isocurvature fluctuations imply tight constraints on inflation. For example…
We present a minimal extension of the Standard Model (SM) providing a consistent picture of particle physics from the electroweak scale to the Planck scale and of cosmology from inflation until today. Three right-handed neutrinos $N_i$, a new color triplet $Q$ and a complex SM-singlet scalar $σ$, whose vacuum expectation value $v_σ\sim 10^{11}$ GeV breaks lepton number and a Peccei-Quinn symmetry simultaneously, are added to the SM. At low energies, the model reduces to the SM, augmented by seesaw generated neutrino masses and mixing, plus the axion. The latter solves the strong CP problem and…
We examine in the context of supersymmetric models whether the usual cosmological upper bound on the axion decay constant can be relaxed by assuming a period of stronger QCD in the early universe. By evaluating the axion potential in the early universe and also taking into account the dilaton potential energy, it is argued that a stronger QCD is not useful for raising up the bound.
We present up to date cosmological bounds on the sum of active neutrino masses as well as on extended cosmological scenarios with additional thermal relics, as thermal axions or sterile neutrino species. Our analyses consider all the current available cosmological data in the beginning of year 2014, including the very recent and most precise Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) measurements from the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey. In the minimal three active neutrino scenario, we find Sum m_nu < 0.22 eV at 95% CL from the combination of CMB, BAO and Hubble Space Telescope measurements of…
We consider cosmological consequences of the spontaneous breaking of a global symmetry that is anomalous under technicolor interactions, leading to the emergence of a light axion-like particle. Avoiding overclosure of the universe by such axions yields the upper bound $f_a \lsim 10^{10}$ GeV on the symmetry breaking scale, corresponding to keV-scale axions. However, diffuse x-ray background data typically require larger values of $f_a$. The overclosure and x-ray bounds can be reconciled if the axion initial amplitude of oscillations $A_i \sim f_a/10$. In this case, a viable axionic dark matter…
We reexamine the graceful exit problem in the Pre-Big-Bang inflationary scenario. The dilaton-gravity action is generalized by adding the axion and a general axion/dilaton potential. We provide a phase space analysis of the dynamics which leads us to extend the previous no-go theorem and rule out the branch change necessary for graceful exit in this context.
String theory posesses numerous axion candidates. The recent realization that the compactification radius in string theory might be large means that these states can solve the strong CP problem. This still leaves the question of the cosmological bound on the axion mass. Here we explore two schemes for accommodating such light axions in cosmology. In the first, we note that in string theory the universe is likely to be dominated early on by the coherent oscillations of some moduli. The usual moduli problem assumes that these fields have masses comparable to the gravitino. We argue that string m…
The QCD axion was originally predicted as a dynamical solution to the strong CP problem. Axion like particles (ALPs) are also a generic prediction of many high energy physics models including string theory. Theoretical models for axions are reviewed, giving a generic multi-axion action with couplings to the standard model. The couplings and masses of these axions can span many orders of magnitude, and cosmology leads us to consider several distinct populations of axions behaving as coherent condensates, or relativistic particles. Light, stable axions are a mainstay dark matter candidate. Axion…
We discuss a class of flat FRW cosmological models based on D=4 axion-dilaton gravity universally coupled to cosmological background fluids. In particular, we investigate the possibility of recurrent acceleration, which was recently shown to be generically realized in a wide class of axion-dilaton models, but in absence of cosmological background fluids. We observe that, once we impose the existence of radiation -and matter- dominated earlier stages of cosmic evolution, the axion-dilaton dynamics is altered significantly with respect to the case of pure axion-dilaton gravity. During the matter…
Cosmology and particle physics are closer today than ever before, with several searches underway at the interface between cosmology, particle physics, and field theory. The mystery of dark matter (DM) is one of the greatest common unsolved problems between these fields. It is established now based on many astrophysical and cosmological observations that only a small fraction of the total matter content of the universe is made of baryonic matter, while the vast majority is constituted by dark matter. However, the nature of such a component is still unknown. One theoretically well-motivated appr…
