Related papers: QCD Axion as a Bridge Between String Theory and Fl…
The axion solution to the strong CP problem makes use of a global Peccei-Quinn (PQ) U(1) symmetry which is susceptible to violations from quantum gravitational effects. We show explicitly how discrete gauge symmetries can protect the axion…
Similarities between the gauge meditation of supersymmetry breaking and the QCD axion model suggest that they originate from the same dynamics. We present a class of models where supersymmetry and the Peccei-Quinn symmetry are…
We investigate a particular version of the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) NMSSM characterized by an economical and rigidly hierarchical flavor structure and based on flavored gauge mediation and on some considerations inspired by string theory GUTs. In…
An accidental U(1) Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry automatically arises in a class of SO(10) unified theories upon gauging the SU(3)$_{f}$ flavour group. The PQ symmetry is protected by the $\mathbb{Z}_4 \times \mathbb{Z}_3$ center of…
Standard Model extensions with light axions are well-motivated by the observed Dark Matter abundance and the Peccei-Quinn solution to the Strong CP Problem. In general such axions can have large flavor-violating couplings to SM fermions,…
The axion solution to the strong CP problem requires an anomalous global U(1) symmetry. We show that the existence of such a symmetry is a natural consequence of an extra dimension in which a gauged U(1) is spontaneously broken on one of…
I review the physics case for flavour violating axions. In particular, I argue that relaxing the assumption of the universality of the Peccei-Quinn current opens up new pathways, including: the relaxation of the Supernova bound on the axion…
We propose an extra-dimension framework on the orbifold $S^1/Z_2$ for understanding the origin of the fermion mass and mixing hierarchies. Introducing the flavor symmetry $G_F(=${\it non-Abelian}$\times${\it Abelian}) as well as the extra…
The QCD axion fails to solve the strong CP problem unless all explicit PQ violating, Planck-suppressed, dimension n<10 operators are forbidden or have exponentially small coefficients. We show that all theories with a QCD axion contain an…
In an attempt to uncover any underlying physics in the standard model (SM), we suggest a $\mu$--$\tau$ power law in the lepton sector, such that relatively large 13 mixing angle with bi-large ones can be derived. On the basis of this, we…
We investigate viable scenarios with various axions in the context of supersymmetric field theory and in globally consistent D-brane models. The Peccei-Quinn symmetry is associated with an anomalous U(1) symmetry, which acquires mass at the…
We propose UV-completions of Froggatt-Nielsen-Peccei-Quinn models of fermion masses and mixings with flavored axions, by incorporating heavy fields. Here, the $U(1)$ Froggatt-Nielsen symmetry is identified with the Peccei-Quinn symmetry to…
We show how an accidental $U(1)$ Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry can arise from a discrete $A_4$ family symmetry combined with a discrete flavour symmetry $ \mathbb{Z}_3 \times \mathbb{Z}_5^2 $, in a realistic Pati-Salam unified theory of…
String theoretic axion is a prime candidate for the QCD axion solving the strong CP problem. For a successful realization of the QCD axion in string theory, one needs to stabilize moduli including the scalar partner (saxion) of the QCD…
We explore a new class of axion models in which some, but not all, of the left-handed quarks have a Peccei-Quinn symmetry. These models are potentially afflicted by flavour changing neutral currents. We derive the bounds on the Peccei-Quinn…
In order to model pions of two-flavor QCD we consider a lattice field theory involving two flavors of staggered quarks interacting strongly with U(1) gauge fields. For massless quarks, this theory has an $SU_L(2)\times SU_R(2) \times…
We consider a string inspired non-supersymmetric extension of the standard model with gauged anomalous U(1) flavor symmetries. Consistency requires the Green-Schwarz mechanism to cancel mixed anomalies. The additional required scalars…
We consider the class of effective supergravity theories from the weakly coupled heterotic string in which local supersymmetry is broken by gaugino condensation in a hidden sector, with dilaton stabilization achieved through corrections to…
The axion solution to the strong CP problem makes use of a global Peccei-Quinn U(1) symmetry which is susceptible to violations from quantum gravitational effects. We show how discrete gauge symmetries can protect the axion from such…
Invoking the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) solution to the strong CP problem substitutes the puzzle of why $\theta_{qcd}$ is so small with the puzzle of why the PQ symmetry is of such high quality. Cosmological and astrophysical considerations raise…