Level Crossing between QCD Axion and Axion-Like Particle

Abstract

We study a level crossing between the QCD axion and an axion-like particle, focusing on the recently found phenomenon, the axion roulette, where the axion-like particle runs along the potential, passing through many crests and troughs, until it gets trapped in one of the potential minima. We perform detailed numerical calculations to determine the parameter space where the axion roulette takes place, and as a result domain walls are likely formed. The domain wall network without cosmic strings is practically stable, and it is nothing but a cosmological disaster. In a certain case, one can make domain walls unstable and decay quickly by introducing an energy bias without spoiling the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem.

20 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (9)

• An Improved Experimental Limit on the Electric Dipole Moment of the Neutron
• Natural inflation with multiple sub-Planckian axions
• Update of axion CDM energy density
• Natural and Multi-Natural Inflation in Axion Landscape
• Hierarchical Axion Inflation
• Axion Landscape and Natural Inflation
• Resonant conversions of QCD axions into hidden axions and suppressed isocurvature perturbations
• Domain Wall Formation from Level Crossing in the Axiverse
• Hidden axion dark matter decaying through mixing with QCD axion and the 3.5 keV X-ray line

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• Topological Defects and nano-Hz Gravitational Waves in Aligned Axion Models
• Power spectrum of domain-wall network and its implications for isotropic and anisotropic cosmic birefringence
• Enhanced photon coupling of ALP dark matter adiabatically converted from the QCD axion
• Friendship in the Axiverse: Late-time direct and astrophysical signatures of early-time nonlinear axion dynamics
• Stochastic Axion Dark Matter in Axion Landscape
• ALP Dark Matter Mini-Clusters from Kinetic Fragmentation
• Trapping Effect for QCD Axion Dark Matter
• QCD Axion Window and False Vacuum Higgs Inflation
• The QCD Axion: A Unique Player in the Axiverse with Mixings
• QCD Axion Kinetic Misalignment without Prejudice
• Induced Domain Walls of QCD Axion, and Gravitational Waves
• Cosmological Perturbations of Axion with a Dynamical Decay Constant
• Resolving the QCD Axion Domain Wall Problem with a Light Axion
• Non-Scaling Topological Defects and Gravitational Waves in Higgs Portal
• ALP Dark Matter from Kinetic Fragmentation: Opening up the Parameter Window