Cosmology and Astrophysics of CP-Violating Axions

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Ramadan, Omar F., Sakstein, Jeremy, Croon, Djuna
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866909279784534016
author Ramadan, Omar F.
Sakstein, Jeremy
Croon, Djuna
author_facet Ramadan, Omar F.
Sakstein, Jeremy
Croon, Djuna
contents We study the cosmology and astrophysics of axion-like particles (ALPs) with CP-violating Yukawa couplings to nucleons. At finite nucleon density, the ALP's dynamics is governed by an effective potential which is the sum of the bare periodic potential and a linear potential whose strength depends on the nucleon density. We identify a critical nucleon density $ρ_c$ controlling the dynamics. At densities smaller than $ρ_c$ the effective potential is a tilted sinusoidal curve and the field is displaced from its zero-density minimum. At densities larger than $ρ_c$ the minima (and maxima) are absent, and the ALP is destabilized. Astrophysically, this implies that neutron stars can source a radial ALP field, providing a complementary probe to equivalence principle tests. Cosmologically, the ALP may have been destabilized in the early Universe and could have made large field excursions. We discuss model-building applications of our results for such early universe scenarios.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_02294
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Cosmology and Astrophysics of CP-Violating Axions
Ramadan, Omar F.
Sakstein, Jeremy
Croon, Djuna
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
We study the cosmology and astrophysics of axion-like particles (ALPs) with CP-violating Yukawa couplings to nucleons. At finite nucleon density, the ALP's dynamics is governed by an effective potential which is the sum of the bare periodic potential and a linear potential whose strength depends on the nucleon density. We identify a critical nucleon density $ρ_c$ controlling the dynamics. At densities smaller than $ρ_c$ the effective potential is a tilted sinusoidal curve and the field is displaced from its zero-density minimum. At densities larger than $ρ_c$ the minima (and maxima) are absent, and the ALP is destabilized. Astrophysically, this implies that neutron stars can source a radial ALP field, providing a complementary probe to equivalence principle tests. Cosmologically, the ALP may have been destabilized in the early Universe and could have made large field excursions. We discuss model-building applications of our results for such early universe scenarios.
title Cosmology and Astrophysics of CP-Violating Axions
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.02294