Axion fragmentation
Nayara Fonseca, Enrico Morgante, Ryosuke Sato, Géraldine Servant
Abstract
A bstract We investigate the production of axion quanta during the early universe evolution of an axion-like field rolling down a wiggly potential. We compute the growth of quantum fluctuations and their back-reaction on the homogeneous zero-mode. We evaluate the transfer of kinetic energy from the zero mode to the quantum fluctuations and the conditions to decelerate the axion zero-mode as a function of the Hubble rate, the slope of the potential, the size of the barriers and the initial field velocity. We discuss how these effects impact the relaxion mechanism.
Topics & Concepts
PhysicsAxionQuantum fluctuationQuantumZero modeKinetic energyBack-reactionQuantum electrodynamicsParticle physicsQuantum mechanicsDark matterDark Matter and Cosmic PhenomenaCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesParticle physics theoretical and experimental studies