Axion minicluster power spectrum and mass function

Abstract

When Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry breaking happens after inflation, the axion field takes random values in causally disconnected regions. This leads to fluctuations of order one in the axion energy density around the QCD epoch. These over-densities eventually decouple from the Hubble expansion and form so-called miniclusters. We present a semi-analytical method to calculate the average axion energy density, as well as the power spectrum, from the re-alignment mechanism in this scenario. Furthermore, we develop a modified Press & Schechter approach, suitable to describe the collapse of non-linear density fluctuations during radiation domination, which is relevant for the formation of axion miniclusters. It allows us to calculate the double differential distribution of gravitationally collapsed miniclusters as a function of their mass and size. For instance, assuming a PQ scale of $10^{11}$ GeV, minicluster masses range from about $5\times 10^{-16}$ to $3\times 10^{-13}$ solar masses and have sizes from about $4\times 10^4$ to $7\times 10^5$ km at the time they start to collapse.

minor changes to the style of figs; corresponds to the version publ in JCAP; 25 pages, 7 figures

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