Related papers: Cosmic Axion
We study the cosmology and astrophysics of axion-like particles (ALPs) with CP-violating Yukawa couplings to nucleons. At finite nucleon density, the ALP's dynamics is governed by an effective potential which is the sum of the bare periodic…
An introduction to solutions of the Einstein equations defining cosmological models with accelerated expansion is given. Connections between mathematical and physical issues are explored. Theorems which have been proved for solutions with…
It is shown that the minimal supersymmetric left-right model can provide a natural solution to the strong {\it CP} problem without the need for an axion, nor any additional symmetries beyond supersymmetry and parity.
CP invariance is a very attractive solution to the strong CP problem in QCD. This solution requires the vanishing ${\rm arg}\,[{\rm det}\, M_d\, {\rm det} M_u]$, where the $M_d$ and $M_u$ are the mass matrices for the down- and up-type…
A brief overview is given about some issues in current astroparticle physics, focusing on the dark matter (DM) problem, where the connection to LHC physics is particularly strong. New data from the Planck satellite has made the evidence in…
I review the current status of dark matter searches using direct, indirect and accelerator techniques. A detailed review of individual experiments is beyond the scope of these proceedings. I focus instead on the challenges (sometimes…
We discuss a possible solution to the strong CP problem which is based on spontaneous CP violation and discrete symmetries. At the same time we predict in a simple way the almost right-angled quark unitarity triangle angle ($\alpha \simeq…
The conventional view is that a solution of the strong CP problem lies beyond QCD. A strong argument supporting this view is that the chiral expansion shows that observables depend on theta (unless a quark mass is zero); this eliminates the…
The axion has emerged as the most attractive solution to two fundamental questions in modern physics related to the charge-parity invariance in strong interactions and the invisible matter component of our universe. Over the past decade,…
We use supersymmetric chiral dynamics perturbed by anomaly-mediated supersymmetry breaking to obtain a high-quality, composite axion that solves the strong CP problem. The strong dynamics arises from a supersymmetric SU(10) chiral gauge…
We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from…
We present detailed arguments and calculations in support of our recent proposal to identify the axion arising in the solution of the strong CP problem with the Majoron, the (pseudo-)Goldstone boson of spontaneously broken lepton number…
Using the path integral approach, we derive the low energy interactions between axions and electromagnetic field that arise in models with heavy dyons charged under a spontaneously broken global axial $U(1)$ symmetry. Hence, we obtain…
One often hears that the strong $CP$ problem is the one problem which cannot be solved by anthropic reasoning. We argue that this is not so. Due to nonperturbative dynamics, states with a different $CP$ violating paramenter $\theta$ acquire…
The exotic cosmic ray events are reviewed. Theoretical attempts to explain the Centauro-like phenomena are summarized. Results of accelerator experiments looking for Centauro-related objects are discussed. The discussion is completed with…
The axion arises in well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics and is regarded as an alternative to the weakly interacting massive particle paradigm to explain the nature of dark matter. In this contribution, we…
We show how the neutrino can sacrifice itself to quantum gravity and save the axion solution to the strong-CP problem. This mechanism puts an upper bound on the lightest neutrino mass.
A QCD axion with a decay constant below $ 10 ^{ 11} ~{\rm GeV} $ is a strongly-motivated extension to the Standard Model, though its relic abundance from the misalignment mechanism or decay of cosmic defects is insufficient to explain the…
We present a comprehensive study of axion condensed neutron stars that arise in models of an exceptionally light axion that couples to quantum chromodynamics (QCD). These axions solve the strong-charge-parity (CP) problem, but have a…
We study the cosmological evolution of the QCD axion coupled to hidden photons. For a moderately strong coupling, the motion of the axion field leads to an explosive production of hidden photons by tachyonic instability. We use lattice…