Audible Axions
read the original abstract
Conventional approaches to probing axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) typically rely on a coupling to photons. However, if this coupling is extremely weak, ALPs become invisible and are effectively decoupled from the Standard Model. Here we show that such invisible axions, which are viable candidates for dark matter, can produce a stochastic gravitational wave background in the early universe. This signal is generated in models where the invisible axion couples to a dark gauge boson that experiences a tachyonic instability when the axion begins to oscillate. Incidentally, the same mechanism also widens the viable parameter space for axion dark matter. Quantum fluctuations amplified by the exponentially growing gauge boson modes source chiral gravitational waves. For axion decay constants $f \gtrsim 10^{17}$ GeV, this signal is detectable by either pulsar timing arrays or space/ground-based gravitational wave detectors for a broad range of axion masses, thus providing a new window to probe invisible axion models.
This paper has not been read by Pith yet.
Forward citations
Cited by 5 Pith papers
-
Detecting Chiral Gravitational Wave Background with a Dipole Pulsar Timing Array
A dipole pulsar timing array detects chiral nanohertz gravitational waves and extends PTA sensitivity into the microhertz regime.
-
Chiral Gravitational Wave Background from Audible Axion via Nieh-Yan Term
Axion-like fields coupled to the Nieh-Yan term generate a chiral GW background during radiation domination, with parameter space explored for detectability in PTA and space-based observatories.
-
Worldline effective field theory of inspiralling black hole binaries in presence of dark photon and axionic dark matter
Computes 1PN conservative dynamics for gravitational/EM/Proca fields and 2PN for scalar, plus radiation effects from axion-photon coupling at high PN orders in binary black hole systems with dark matter.
-
Audible Axion Magnetogenesis: Linking Intergalactic Magnetic Fields and Gravitational Waves
Axion-like particles in the trapped misalignment mechanism produce observable gravitational waves while generating intergalactic magnetic fields that exceed blazar lower bounds in the parameter space promising for gra...
-
Gravitational Wave Birefringence from Fuzzy Dark Matter
Fuzzy dark matter induces frequency-dependent amplitude birefringence in gravitational waves with periodic time modulation set by the scalar mass, but no velocity birefringence.
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.