Related papers: High Quality QCD Axion at Gravitational Wave Obser…
These lecture notes provide a self-contained, graduate-level introduction to the strong $CP$ problem and QCD axion physics from an effective field theory (EFT) viewpoint. We review the construction of the chiral EFT of QCD yielding a…
I describe how the QCD vacuum structure, necessary to resolve the $U(1)_A$ problem, predicts the presence of a P, T and CP violating term proportional to the vacuum angle $\bar{\theta}$. To agree with experimental bounds, however, this…
The axion provides a compelling solution to the strong CP problem as well as a candidate for the dark matter of the universe. However, the axion solution relies on the spontaneous breaking of a global $U(1)_{PQ}$ symmetry, which is also…
The ongoing improvements of the advanced gravitational wave (GW) detectors are setting challenging requirements on instrument calibration. We report tests of a calibration technique, based on the well-known gravitation force, which has been…
In order to solve the strong CP problem, we study the possibility that the Peccei--Quinn symmetry is broken {\it below}\/ the QCD scale. We find that a QCD axion can be above GeV, and may be among the observed $\eta$ resonances. It is…
We propose two novel solutions to the domain wall problem of the QCD axion by introducing a massless or light axion that also couples to gluons. The first solution applies when the new axion forms strings after inflation. Due to its mixing…
We demonstrate that the observed cosmological excess of matter over antimatter may originate from a heavy QCD axion that solves the strong CP problem but has a mass much larger than that given by the Standard Model QCD strong dynamics. We…
String and M-theory compactifications generically have compact moduli which can potentially act as the QCD axion. However, as demonstrated here, such a compact modulus can not play the role of a QCD axion and solve the strong CP problem if…
A broad experimental program is targeting the QCD axion band predicted by single-axion solutions to the strong CP problem. Multi-axion theories provide a well-motivated departure from this canonical picture, since additional states…
We report for the first time general geometrical expressions for the angular resolution of an arbitrary network of interferometric gravitational-wave (GW) detectors when the arrival-time of a GW is unknown. We show explicitly elements that…
The QCD Lagrangian contains a CP violating gluon density term with a physical coefficient $\bar{\theta}$. The upper bound on the electric dipole moment of neutron implies that the value of $\bar{\theta}$ should be extremely small rather…
We introduce the Anarchic Axion, a class of axion models which solves the Strong CP problem within current nEDM constraints with a lighter than usual QCD axion, thus populating new parameter space that ongoing and future experiments target.…
Nonlinearly realized Abelian global symmetries can be reformulated as local shift symmetries gauged by three-form gauge fields. The anomalous symmetries of the Standard Model (such as Peccei-Quinn or $B+L$) can be dualized to local…
We show that charged Eguchi-Hanson instantons provide a concrete and calculable new source of intrinsic Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking by quantum gravity. The size of this breaking is shown to depend sensitively on the short distance…
Gravitational waves provide a novel way to probe axions or axion-like particles coupled to a dark photon field, even in the absence of couplings to Standard Model particles. In the conventional misalignment mechanism, the generation of an…
Axions have long been considered plausible candidates for dark matter. The axion dark matter emitted from cosmic strings after the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry breaking in the early Universe was extensively simulated. In this work, we study…
The strong CP-violating parameter is small today as indicated by constraints on the neutron electric dipole moment. In the early universe, the QCD axion has not yet relaxed to its QCD-cancelling minimum and it is natural to wonder whether…
We study the phenomenology of the 'companion-axion model' consisting of two coupled QCD axions. The second axion is required to rescue the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong-CP problem from the effects of colored gravitational instantons.…
Data quality assessment plays an essential role in the quest to detect gravitational wave signals in data from the LIGO and Virgo interferometric gravitational wave detectors. Interferometer data contains a high rate of noise transients…
We argue that the QCD axion can arise from many aligned axions with decay constants much smaller than the conventional axion window. If the typical decay constant is of {\cal O}{(100)} GeV to 1 TeV, one or more of the axions or saxions may…