Related papers: Higher topological charge and the QCD vacuum
A non-zero CP-violating $\theta$ parameter is treated in the domain model which assumes a cluster-like vacuum structure whose units are characterised in particular by a topological charge which is not necessarily an integer number. In the…
We consider the production of axion dark matter through the misalignment mechanism in the context of a nonstandard cosmological history involving early matter domination by a scalar field with a time-dependent decay rate. In cases where the…
We have recently presented evidence that in configurations dominating the regularized pure-glue QCD path integral, the topological charge density constructed from overlap Dirac operator organizes into an ordered space-time structure. It was…
A number of proposed and ongoing experiments search for axion dark matter with a mass nearing the limit set by small scale structure (${\cal O} ( 10 ^{ - 21 } {\rm eV} ) $). We consider the late universe cosmology of these models, showing…
The distribution of the QCD topological charge can be described by cumulants, with the lowest one being the topological susceptibility. The vacuum energy density in a theta-vacuum is the generating function for these cumulants. In this…
The current cosmological constraints on a dark matter axion are reviewed. We describe the basic mechanisms by which axions are created in the early universe, both in the standard thermal scenario in which axion strings form and in…
We explore the interplay of the post-inflationary QCD axion and a light scalar field for the axion domain wall decay and dark matter (DM). The scalar field possesses a nonzero vacuum expectation value (VEV) during inflation, so that its…
In a previous paper \cite{Jahn:2018dke} we presented a methodology for computing the topological susceptibility of QCD at temperatures where it is small and standard methods fail. Here we improve on this methodology by removing two barriers…
We study the combined effect of a conical topological defect and a Coulomb charge impurity on the dynamics of Dirac fermions in gapped graphene. Beyond a certain strength of the Coulomb charge, quantum instability sets in, which demarcates…
Considerable theoretical efforts have gone into expanding the reach of the QCD axion beyond its canonical mass--decay-constant relation. The $Z_\mathcal{N}$ QCD axion model reduces the QCD axion mass naturally, by invoking a discrete…
In this chapter we provide a pedagogical introduction to the main theoretical aspects related to topology and $\theta$-dependence in Quantum Chromo-Dynamics (QCD), and to their phenomenological relevance in the Standard Model ($\eta^\prime$…
We investigate the topological structure of the vacuum in SU(3) lattice gauge theory. We use under-relaxed cooling to remove the high-frequency fluctuations and a variety of "filters" to identify the topological charges in the resulting…
The QCD axion offers a natural resolution to the strong CP problem and provides a compelling dark matter candidate. If the QCD axion constitutes all the dark matter, the simplest models pick out a narrow range of masses around $100\,\mu{\rm…
We revisit the isocurvature density perturbations induced by quantum fluctuations of the axion field by extending a recently developed analytic method and approximations to a time-dependent scalar potential, which enables us to follow the…
Gauge theories with compact symmetry groups possess topologically non-trivial configurations of gauge field. This has dramatic implications for the vacuum structure of Quantum Chromo-Dynamics (QCD) and for the behavior of QCD plasma, as…
We evaluate the gravitino production rate in supersymmetric QCD at high temperature to leading order in the gauge coupling. The result, which is obtained by using the resummed gluon propagator, depends logarithmically on the gluon plasma…
The QCD axion may offer a unified origin for the baryon asymmetry and dark matter through axiogenesis. However, in the minimal QCD axion scenario, axiogenesis either underproduces baryons or overproduces dark matter, and the required…
We propose a new theory of dark matter based on axion physics and cosmological phase transitions. We show that theories in which a gauge coupling increases through a first-order phase transition naturally result in `axion relic pockets':…
The aim of this paper is to explore the thermodynamic topology of topological charged dilatonic black holes. To achieve this, our study will begin by examining the characteristics of topological charged black holes in dilaton gravity.…
A kinetic mixing between the axion and the inflaton allows for a production of axion dark matter even if the inflationary Hubble scale is smaller than the zero-temperature axion mass. We analyze the axion dynamics in this recently…