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Title: Gauge-preheating and the end of axion inflation

Abstract

We study the onset of the reheating epoch at the end of axion-driven inflation where the axion is coupled to an Abelian, U(1), gauge field via a Chern-Simons interaction term. We focus primarily on m{sup 2φ2} inflation and explore the possibility that preheating can occur for a range of coupling values consistent with recent observations and bounds on the overproduction of primordial black holes. We find that for a wide range of parameters preheating is efficient. In certain cases the inflaton transfers all of its energy to the gauge fields within a few oscillations. In most cases, we find that the gauge fields on sub-horizon scales end preheating in an unpolarized state due to the existence of strong rescattering between the inflaton and gauge-field modes. We also present a preliminary study of an axion monodromy model coupled to U(1) gauge fields, seeing a similarly efficient preheating behavior as well as indications that the coupling strength has an effect on the creation of oscillons.

Authors:
;  [1];
  1. Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22525122
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 2015; Journal Issue: 12; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1475-7516
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; AXIONS; BLACK HOLES; COSMOLOGICAL INFLATION; COUPLING; GAUGE INVARIANCE; HEAT TREATMENTS; INFLATIONARY UNIVERSE; OSCILLATIONS; RESCATTERING; U-1 GROUPS

Citation Formats

Adshead, Peter, Sfakianakis, Evangelos I., Giblin, Jr., John T., and Scully, Timothy R., E-mail: adshead@illinois.edu, E-mail: giblinj@kenyon.edu, E-mail: tscully2@illinois.edu, E-mail: esfaki@illinois.edu. Gauge-preheating and the end of axion inflation. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2015/12/034.
Adshead, Peter, Sfakianakis, Evangelos I., Giblin, Jr., John T., & Scully, Timothy R., E-mail: adshead@illinois.edu, E-mail: giblinj@kenyon.edu, E-mail: tscully2@illinois.edu, E-mail: esfaki@illinois.edu. Gauge-preheating and the end of axion inflation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2015/12/034
Adshead, Peter, Sfakianakis, Evangelos I., Giblin, Jr., John T., and Scully, Timothy R., E-mail: adshead@illinois.edu, E-mail: giblinj@kenyon.edu, E-mail: tscully2@illinois.edu, E-mail: esfaki@illinois.edu. 2015. "Gauge-preheating and the end of axion inflation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2015/12/034.
@article{osti_22525122,
title = {Gauge-preheating and the end of axion inflation},
author = {Adshead, Peter and Sfakianakis, Evangelos I. and Giblin, Jr., John T. and Scully, Timothy R., E-mail: adshead@illinois.edu, E-mail: giblinj@kenyon.edu, E-mail: tscully2@illinois.edu, E-mail: esfaki@illinois.edu},
abstractNote = {We study the onset of the reheating epoch at the end of axion-driven inflation where the axion is coupled to an Abelian, U(1), gauge field via a Chern-Simons interaction term. We focus primarily on m{sup 2φ2} inflation and explore the possibility that preheating can occur for a range of coupling values consistent with recent observations and bounds on the overproduction of primordial black holes. We find that for a wide range of parameters preheating is efficient. In certain cases the inflaton transfers all of its energy to the gauge fields within a few oscillations. In most cases, we find that the gauge fields on sub-horizon scales end preheating in an unpolarized state due to the existence of strong rescattering between the inflaton and gauge-field modes. We also present a preliminary study of an axion monodromy model coupled to U(1) gauge fields, seeing a similarly efficient preheating behavior as well as indications that the coupling strength has an effect on the creation of oscillons.},
doi = {10.1088/1475-7516/2015/12/034},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22525122}, journal = {Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics},
issn = {1475-7516},
number = 12,
volume = 2015,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}