Related papers: The Axion Quality and Fifth Force
We investigate the effective interaction of a pseudoscalar particle with two photons in an external electromagnetic field in the general case of all external particles being off the mass shell. This interaction is used to study the…
A local flavour symmetry acting on the quarks of the Standard Model can automatically give rise to an accidental global $U(1)$ which remains preserved from sources of explicit breaking up to a large operator dimension, while it gets…
These TASI lectures where given in 2018 and provide an introduction to the Strong CP problem and the axion. I start by introducing the Strong CP problem from both a classical and a quantum mechanical perspective, calculating the neutron eDM…
Continuous global symmetries are expected to be broken by gravity, which can lead to important phenomenological consequences. A prime example is the threat that this poses to the viability of the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP…
We highlight general issues associated with quality and naturalness problems in theories of light QCD-axions, axion-like particles, and relaxions. We show the presence of Planck-suppressed operators generically lead to scalar coupling of…
We study the phenomenological consequences of several $CP$-violating structures that could arise in the Standard Model effective field theory framework. Focusing on operators involving electroweak gauge and/or Higgs bosons, we derive…
A $SU(N)_L\times SU(N)_R$ gauge theory for a scalar multiplet $Y$ transforming in the bi-fundamental representation $(N,\bar N)$ preserves, for $N>4$, an accidental $U(1)$ symmetry firstly broken at operator dimension $N$. Two…
Parity solutions to the strong CP problem are a compelling alternative to approaches based on Peccei-Quinn symmetry, particularly given the expected violation of global symmetries in a theory of quantum gravity. The most natural of these…
It was shown that the required high quality of the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry can be a natural outcome of the multiple QCD axions model. In the axiverse, a hypothetical mass mixing between the QCD axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) can…
The \mu parameter of the supersymmetric standard model is replaced by \lambda S, where S is a singlet chiral superfield, introducing a Peccei--Quinn symmetry into the theory. Dynamics at the electroweak scale naturally solves both the…
Baryon number is an accidental symmetry in the standard model, while Peccei-Quinn symmetry is hypothetical symmetry which is introduced to solve the strong CP problem. We study the possible connections between Peccei-Quinn symmetry and…
We study a new model of quintessential inflation which is inspired by supergravity and string theory. The model features a kinetic pole, which gives rise to the inflationary plateau, and a runaway quintessential tail. We envisage a coupling…
We discuss the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) with a Peccei-Quinn (PQ) U(1) symmetry. When this symmetry is dynamically broken by the Higgs mechanism, the resulting pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson takes the role of an…
We investigate the phenomenological constraints on a model where, besides the standard model Higgs sector, there is an effective new strong interaction acting on the third generation of quarks and characterized by a $\theta$-like term. This…
We propose an alternative to the axion mechanism for addressing the charge parity (CP) problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Our approach involves imposing CP as an inherent symmetry of the Lagrangian, which is then spontaneously broken.…
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…
We investigate a cosmological scenario in which the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry remains broken in the entire history of the Universe, thereby avoiding the formation of axion strings and domain walls. Contrary to the conventional expectation,…
This proceedings' contribution explores the rationale behind the axion as a resolution to the strong CP puzzle. It outlines various benchmark axion models and examines their implications, focusing on two key aspects: (i) the axion's…
We illustrate and discuss the phenomenology of a model featuring a two-Higgs doublet sector augmented by two $SU(2)$ singlet scalars. The gauge symmetry group is extended as well with a $U(1)_{B_{i}-L_{i}}$ component whose spontaneous…
We study the impact of QCD axion strings in the cosmological history of electroweak (EW) symmetry breaking, focussing on the minimal KSVZ axion model. We consider the case of the pure SM Higgs potential as well as a simple scenario with a…