Related papers: QCD Axion Star Collapse with the Chiral Potential
Axion stars, gravitationally bound states of low-energy axion particles, have a maximum mass allowed by gravitational stability. Weakly bound states obtaining this maximum mass have sufficiently large radii such that they are dilute, and as…
The classical equations of motion for an axion with potential $V(\phi)=m_a^2f_a^2 [1-\cos (\phi/f_a)]$ possess quasi-stable, localized, oscillating solutions, which we refer to as "axion stars". We study, for the first time, collapse of…
If QCD axions form a large fraction of the total mass of dark matter, then axion stars could be very abundant in galaxies. As a result, collisions with each other, and with other astrophysical bodies, can occur. We calculate the rate and…
We show that if dark matter consists of QCD axions in the post-inflationary scenario more than ten percent of it efficiently collapses into Bose stars at matter-radiation equality. Such a result is mostly independent of the present…
We review the current status of astrophysical bounds on QCD axions, primarily based on the observational effects of nonstandard energy losses on stars, including black-hole superradiance. Over the past few years, many of the traditional…
At low energies, the strong interaction is governed by the Goldstone bosons associated with the spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, which can be systematically described by chiral perturbation theory. In this paper, we apply this theory…
The physical origin of the strong CP problem in QCD, rooted in the structures of the vacuum of the standard model, is reviewed. The chiral solution to this problem, with its accompanying axion, is explained and various characteristics of…
We study novel solitonic solutions to Einstein-Klein-Gordon theory in the presence of a periodic scalar potential arising in models of axion-like particles. The potential depends on two parameters: the mass of the scalar field $m_a$ and the…
Axion-like dark matter whose symmetry breaking occurs after the end of inflation predicts enhanced primordial density fluctuations at small scales. This leads to dense axion minihalos (or miniclusters) forming early in the history of the…
Axions and axion-like particles are compelling candidates for the missing dark matter of the universe. As they undergo gravitational collapse, they can form compact objects such as axion stars or even black holes. In this paper, we study…
Along with compacting baryon (neutron) spacing, two very important factors come into play at once: the lack of self-stabilization within a compact neutron star (NS) associated with possible black hole (BH) horizon appearance and the phase…
We study the gravitational collapse of an axion field in null coordinates, assuming spherical symmetry. Compared with previous studies, we use a simpler numerical scheme which can run, for relevant parameters, in a few minutes or less on a…
The QCD axion and axion-like particles, as leading dark matter candidates, can also have interesting implications for dark matter substructures if the Peccei-Quinn symmetry is broken after inflation. In such a scenario, axion perturbations…
The existence of light QCD axions, whose mass depends on an additional free parameter, can lead to a new ground state of matter, where the sourced axion field reduces the nucleon effective mass. The presence of the axion field has…
We study the fate of gravitational collapse of a tachyon field matter. In presence of an inverse square potential a black hole forms. Loop quantum corrections lead to the avoidance of classical singularities, which is followed by an outward…
We compute the quantum tunneling rate of dilute axion stars close to the maximum mass [P.H. Chavanis, Phys. Rev. D {\bf 84}, 043531 (2011)] using the theory of instantons. We confirm that the lifetime of metastable states is extremely long,…
We study gravitational collapse of the axion/dilaton field in classical low energy string theory, at the threshold for black hole formation. A new critical solution is derived that is spherically symmetric and continuously self-similar. The…
Axion stars are hypothetical objects formed of axions, obtained as localized and coherently oscillating solutions to their classical equation of motion. Depending on the value of the field amplitude at the core $|\theta_0| \equiv…
We study the gravitational collapse of compact objects in the Brane-World. We begin by arguing that the regularity of the five-dimensional geodesics does not allow the energy-momentum tensor of matter on the brane to have (step-like)…
The serious cosmological problems created by the axion-string/axion-domain-wall system in standard axion models are alleviated by positing the existence of a new confining force. The instantons of this force can generate an axion potential…