Related papers: Why $w \ne -1$? Anthropic Selection in a $\Lambda$…
We uncover the general mechanism producing the dark energy(DE). This is only based on well known quantum physics and cosmology. We show that the observed DE originates from the cosmological quantum vacuum of light particles which provides a…
We review current cosmological constraints on the axion. We describe the basic mechanisms by which axions are created in the early universe, focussing on the standard thermal scenario where the dominant process is through axion radiation by…
We evaluate the problem of galaxy formation in the landscape approach to phenomenology of the axion sector. With other parameters of standard LambdaCDM cosmology held fixed, the density of cold dark matter is bounded below relative to the…
String theories suggest the existence of a plethora of axion-like fields with masses spread over a huge number of decades. Here we show that these ideas lend themselves to a model of quintessence with no super-Planckian field excursions and…
Dark energy candidates for which the equation-of-state parameter w is less than -1 violate the dominant energy condition, and are typically unstable. In scalar-tensor theories of gravity, however, the expansion of the universe can mimic the…
We combine recent measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies, Supernovae luminosity distances and Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations to derive constraints on the dark energy equation of state w in the redshift range 0<z<2, using a…
The string axion may provide the most attractive solution to the strong CP problem in QCD. However, the axion energy density easily exceeds the dark matter density in the present universe due to a large decay constant around $10^{16}$ GeV,…
Axion as a coherently oscillating scalar field is known to behave as a cold dark matter in all cosmologically relevant scales. For conventional axion mass with 10^{-5} eV, the axion reveals a characteristic damping behavior in the evolution…
We show that a simple coupling between dark energy and dark matter can simultaneously address two distinct hints at new physics coming from cosmological observations. The first is the recent evidence from the DESI project and supernovae…
A huge amount of good quality astrophysical data converges towards the picture of a spatially flat universe undergoing the today observed phase of accelerated expansion. This new observational trend is commonly addressed as Precision…
Axions arise in many theoretical extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics, in particular the "string axiverse". If the axion masses, $m_a$, and (effective) decay constants, $f_a$, lie in specific ranges, then axions contribute…
A huge amount of good quality data converges towards the picture of a spatially flat universe undergoing the today observed phase of accelerated expansion. This new observational trend is commonly addressed as Precision Cosmology. Despite…
It is extraordinary that a number of observations indicate that we live in a spatially flat, low matter density Universe, which is currently undergoing a period of accelerating expansion. The effort to explain this current state has focused…
Current data in the form of baryon acoustic oscillation, supernova, and cosmic microwave background distances prefer a cosmology that accelerates more strongly than $\Lambda$CDM at $z\approx0.5-1.5$, and more weakly at $z\lesssim0.5$. We…
Precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectrum are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the standard $\Lambda$CDM cosmological model. However, there is some tension between the value of the Hubble…
The first and second year results of DESI provide consistent evidence that dark energy may not be quantum vacuum energy ($\Lambda$). If true, this would be an extraordinary development in the 25-year quest to understand cosmic acceleration.…
Models of dark energy are conveniently characterized by the equation-of-state parameter w=p/\rho, where \rho is the energy density and p is the pressure. Imposing the Dominant Energy Condition, which guarantees stability of the theory,…
The cosmological scenario where the Peccei-Quinn symmetry is broken after inflation is investigated. In this scenario, topological defects such as strings and domain walls produce a large number of axions, which contribute to the cold dark…
The string axiverse predicts a unique connection between the high scales approachable only through theory and the low energies within reach of experimental verification: a multitude of light, feebly interacting axions. In order to capture…
Axions have emerged as compelling candidates for describing the dark sector of the Universe. In this work, we explore quintessence models inspired by axion-like potentials as a dynamical alternative to the cosmological constant. These…