On the prospects of thermalization of axion-SU(2) inflation
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866914152156495872 |
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| author | Bhattacharya, Sukannya Fasiello, Matteo Papageorgiou, Alexandros Dimastrogiovanni, Ema |
| author_facet | Bhattacharya, Sukannya Fasiello, Matteo Papageorgiou, Alexandros Dimastrogiovanni, Ema |
| contents | Axion inflation models coupled to a gauge sector via a Chern-Simons term exhibit an array of interesting phenomenology including a chiral gravitational wave spectrum and primordial black hole production. They may also provide a useful mechanism for generating lepton asymmetry. The possibility to embed this class of models in UV-finite theories and their intriguing, testable, signatures make for a compelling candidate for early acceleration. Due to the Chern-Simons coupling, gauge modes may undergo a finite tachyonic growth during which non-linearities become important. Naturally, this raises the question of whether such (self) interactions can lead to thermalization during inflation. We provide a set of useful criteria for sustained thermalization in an axion-$SU(2)$ model and chart the parameter space of the model accordingly. We find that the cold inflation regime constitutes a very significant fraction of the parameter space. Our analysis accounts for a initially vanishing as well as non-zero gauge field vacuum expectation value (VEV). We also consider the possibility of a dynamically generated VEV. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_11853 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | On the prospects of thermalization of axion-SU(2) inflation Bhattacharya, Sukannya Fasiello, Matteo Papageorgiou, Alexandros Dimastrogiovanni, Ema Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory Axion inflation models coupled to a gauge sector via a Chern-Simons term exhibit an array of interesting phenomenology including a chiral gravitational wave spectrum and primordial black hole production. They may also provide a useful mechanism for generating lepton asymmetry. The possibility to embed this class of models in UV-finite theories and their intriguing, testable, signatures make for a compelling candidate for early acceleration. Due to the Chern-Simons coupling, gauge modes may undergo a finite tachyonic growth during which non-linearities become important. Naturally, this raises the question of whether such (self) interactions can lead to thermalization during inflation. We provide a set of useful criteria for sustained thermalization in an axion-$SU(2)$ model and chart the parameter space of the model accordingly. We find that the cold inflation regime constitutes a very significant fraction of the parameter space. Our analysis accounts for a initially vanishing as well as non-zero gauge field vacuum expectation value (VEV). We also consider the possibility of a dynamically generated VEV. |
| title | On the prospects of thermalization of axion-SU(2) inflation |
| topic | Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.11853 |