Related papers: Glimmers from the Axiverse
Models of axion inflation are particularly interesting since they provide a natural justification for the flatness of the potential over a super-Planckian distance, namely the approximate shift-symmetry of the inflaton. In addition, most of…
We present a new mechanism to deplete the energy density of the QCD axion, making decay constants as high as $f_a \simeq 10^{17}\,\rm{GeV}$ viable for generic initial conditions. In our setup, the axion couples to a massless dark photon…
Ultralight axions with axion-photon couplings $g_{a\gamma\gamma} \sim {\rm few} \times 10^{-11}$ GeV$^{-1}$ may resolve a number of astrophysical anomalies, such as unexpected ~TeV transparency, anomalous stellar cooling, and X-ray excesses…
Wrapped branes in string compactifications introduce a monodromy that extends the field range of individual closed-string axions to beyond the Planck scale. Furthermore, approximate shift symmetries of the system naturally control…
We discuss a general feature of Freund Rubin compactifications that was previously overlooked. It consist in a curious pairing, which we call a shadow relation, of completely different (in terms of spin and mass) fields of the dimensionally…
We revisit the question of gauge coupling unification at the string scale in orbifold compactifications of the heterotic string for the supersymmetric Standard Model. In the presence of discrete Wilson lines threshold corrections with…
We review the construction of chiral four-dimensional compactifications of type IIA string theory with intersecting D6-branes. Such models lead to four-dimensional theories with non-abelian gauge interactions and charged chiral fermions. We…
We show that string moduli have axion-philic nature owing to the model-insensitive derivative interactions arising from the Kaehler potential. The decay of a modulus into stringy axions occurs without suppression by the mass of final…
Axions seem ubiquitous in string theories and some of them may be produced non-thermally by heavy scalar decays, contributing to dark radiation. We study various cosmological effects of photons produced from the axionic dark radiation…
In this review article, we present a systematic study of large volume type IIB string compactifications that addresses several interesting issues in string cosmology and string phenomenology within a single string compactification scheme.…
We report on recent results obtained by analyzing axion--photon mixing in the framework of quantum field theory. We obtain corrections to the oscillation formulae and we reveal a new effect of the vacuum polarization due to the non-zero…
The light pseudoscalar particle, dubbed the axion, borne out of the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem in QCD remains elusive. One avenue of inferring its existence is through its coupling to electromagnetic radiation. So far,…
String theory suggests the simultaneous presence of many ultralight axions possibly populating each decade of mass down to the Hubble scale 10^-33eV. Conversely the presence of such a plenitude of axions (an "axiverse") would be evidence…
We study the dynamics of a two-field scalar model consisting of an axion-saxion pair with both kinetic and potential couplings, as motivated by string theory compactifications. We extend the dynamical systems (DS) toolkit by introducing a…
We argue that quintessence may reside in certain corners of the string landscape. It arises as a linear combination of internal space components of higher rank forms, which are axion-like at low energies, and may mix with 4-forms after…
In particle physics, axions and axion-like particles are ubiquitous. Remarkably, ultra-light axions could constitute dark matter or dark energy. Therefore, it is important to detect axions experimentally. In the presence of a magnetic…
It is well-established that compactifying type I string theory on a circle \( S^{(1)} \) transforms the theory under T-duality into type I' theory, the compactification of type IIA string theory on the orbifold \(…
We study the backreaction effect of a large axion field excursion on the saxion partner residing in the same $\mathcal{N}=1$ multiplet. Such configurations are relevant in attempts to realize axion monodromy inflation in string…
It is widely believed that string theory easily allows for a QCD axion in the cosmologically favoured mass range. The required small decay constant, $f_a\ll M_P$, can be implemented by using a large compactification volume. This points to…
The effects of a nonsimply connected spacetime with the topology of $S^{1}\times R^{3}$ in the vacua of QED and gauged-NJL theories are investigated. It is shown that the polarization effects of twisted and untwisted fermions in QED are…