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Heavy QCD axion dark matter from avoided level crossing

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arxiv 2306.04678 v2 pith:VDQDVL3Y submitted 2023-06-07 hep-ph astro-ph.CO

classification hep-phastro-ph.CO
keywords axiondarkmattermodelsavoidedcrossinglevelmasses
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal
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abstract

The QCD axion offers a natural resolution to the strong CP problem and provides a compelling dark matter candidate. If the QCD axion constitutes all the dark matter, the simplest models pick out a narrow range of masses around $100\,\mu{\rm eV}$. We point out a natural production mechanism for QCD axion dark matter at masses up to existing astrophysical bounds (${\scr O}(20 \, \mathrm{meV})$ for the most minimal models and ${\scr O}(1 \, \mathrm{eV})$ for nucleophobic models). If the QCD axion mixes with a sterile axion, the relative temperature dependence of their potentials can lead to an avoided level crossing of their mass eigenstates. This leads to a near-total transfer of energy density from the sterile axion to the QCD axion, resulting in a late-time QCD axion abundance sufficient to make up all of present-day dark matter. Our result provides additional theoretical motivation for several direct detection experiments that will probe this part of parameter space in the near future.

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Cited by 5 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

  1. Axiverse Lampposts

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  2. Sign-Flipping Axion Potentials via Kapitza-Type Modulation by Heavy Axions

    hep-ph 2025-09 accept novelty 6.0 of 10

    Coherent oscillations of a heavy axion change the sign of a light axion's effective potential, trapping it in a false vacuum and boosting its dark matter abundance.

  3. Resonant Landau-Zener Conversion In Multi-Axion Systems

    hep-ph 2025-07 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    The paper derives a Landau-Zener conversion probability for non-adiabatic axion mass-level crossings and uses it to predict two-axion dark matter abundances and haloscope targets.

  4. Hierarchical Axiverse

    hep-ph 2026-08 reject novelty 5.0 of 10

    The paper asserts that the requirement of well-defined QCD-induced mixing alone forces ALP masses into a hierarchical spacing and decay constants into two separated populations, but it does not demonstrate the underly...

  5. Impact of First-order Electroweak Phase Transition on QCD Axion

    hep-ph 2025-07 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

    A temporary axion mass spike during a first-order electroweak phase transition can make the QCD axion dark matter over a wide range of decay constants without a tuned initial angle.

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