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Main Authors: Badziak, Marcin, Gomułka, Adam, Laletin, Maxim, Szafrański, Krzysztof
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14864
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author Badziak, Marcin
Gomułka, Adam
Laletin, Maxim
Szafrański, Krzysztof
author_facet Badziak, Marcin
Gomułka, Adam
Laletin, Maxim
Szafrański, Krzysztof
contents We present updated cosmological constraints on axion-lepton interactions based on state-of-the-art computations of the thermal axion abundance. By combining Planck Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data with baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements from DESI DR2, we derive improved limits on both lepton-flavor-conserving (LFC) and lepton-flavor-violating (LFV) axion couplings. Incorporating finite axion mass effects substantially strengthens the bounds for axion masses above 0.1 eV compared to those inferred from the $ΔN_{\rm eff}$ constraint alone. The bounds on the LFC axion-tau coupling and LFV axion couplings to tau and muon or electron are improved by several orders of magnitude and the lower bound on the axion decay constant may exceed $10^6$ and $10^8$ GeV, respectively, for axion masses above 1 eV. Our cosmological constraints on LFC axion couplings to muons and taus and LFV axion couplings to tau and muon or electron are stronger than all other constraints for masses above 0.3 eV. In particular, they are stronger than recent collider constraints from Belle-II on $τ\rightarrow la$ decays, where $l=e$ or $μ$. The collider constraints on $μ\rightarrow ea$ decays are weaker than the cosmological constraints for axion masses above 100 eV. Our results are relevant for both the QCD axion and axion-like particles (ALPs).
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_14864
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Improved cosmological constraints on axion-lepton interactions
Badziak, Marcin
Gomułka, Adam
Laletin, Maxim
Szafrański, Krzysztof
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
We present updated cosmological constraints on axion-lepton interactions based on state-of-the-art computations of the thermal axion abundance. By combining Planck Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) data with baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) measurements from DESI DR2, we derive improved limits on both lepton-flavor-conserving (LFC) and lepton-flavor-violating (LFV) axion couplings. Incorporating finite axion mass effects substantially strengthens the bounds for axion masses above 0.1 eV compared to those inferred from the $ΔN_{\rm eff}$ constraint alone. The bounds on the LFC axion-tau coupling and LFV axion couplings to tau and muon or electron are improved by several orders of magnitude and the lower bound on the axion decay constant may exceed $10^6$ and $10^8$ GeV, respectively, for axion masses above 1 eV. Our cosmological constraints on LFC axion couplings to muons and taus and LFV axion couplings to tau and muon or electron are stronger than all other constraints for masses above 0.3 eV. In particular, they are stronger than recent collider constraints from Belle-II on $τ\rightarrow la$ decays, where $l=e$ or $μ$. The collider constraints on $μ\rightarrow ea$ decays are weaker than the cosmological constraints for axion masses above 100 eV. Our results are relevant for both the QCD axion and axion-like particles (ALPs).
title Improved cosmological constraints on axion-lepton interactions
topic High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14864