A Planck-scale axion and SU(2) Yang-Mills dynamics: Present acceleration and the fate of the photon

Abstract

From the time of CMB decoupling onwards we investigate cosmological evolution subject to a strongly interacting SU(2) gauge theory of Yang-Mills scale $\Lambda \sim 10^{-4}$ eV (masquerading as the $U(1{)}_Y$ factor of the SM at present). The viability of this postulate is discussed in view of cosmological and (astro)particle physics bounds. The gauge theory is coupled to a spatially homogeneous and ultra-light (Planck-scale) axion field. As first pointed out by Frieman et al., such an axion is a viable candidate for quintessence, i.e. dynamical dark energy, being associated with today's cosmological acceleration. A prediction of an upper limit $\Delta t_{m_{\gamma }=0}$ for the duration of the epoch stretching from the present to the point where the photon starts to be Meissner massive is obtained: $\Delta t_{m_{\gamma }=0}\sim 2.2$ billion years.

v3: consequences of an error in evolution equation for coupling rectified, only a minimal change in physics results, two refs. added

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• New BBN limits on Physics Beyond the Standard Model from He4
• Chiral phase boundary of QCD at finite temperature
• Nonperturbative approach to Yang-Mills thermodynamics
• Dark Energy and Right-Handed Neutrinos
• Regular and chaotic interactions of two BPS dyons at low energy
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• Black-Body Anomaly: Analysis of Temperature Offsets
• Modification of black-body radiance at low temperatures and frequencies
• An SU(2) gauge principle for the Cosmic Microwave Background: Perspectives on the Dark Sector of the Cosmological Model
• Frequency-redshift relation of the Cosmic Microwave Background
• Yang-Mills thermodynamics at low temperature
• Einstein-Yang-Mills-aether theory with nonlinear axion field: Decay of color aether and the axionic dark matter production
• Bursts of low-energy electron-positron pairs in TeV-range collider physics
• Correlation of energy density in deconfining SU(2) Yang-Mills thermodynamics
• SU(2) Yang-Mills thermodynamics: a priori estimate and radiative corrections
• Thermodynamics of SU(2) quantum Yang-Mills theory and CMB anomalies
• Cosmic Microwave Background as a thermal gas of SU(2) photons: Implications for the high-z cosmological model and the value of $H_0$
• Thermal ground state for pure SU(2) Yang-Mills thermodynamics