Inflationary axion cosmology

Journal Article · Mon Jan 07 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Physical Review Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.5· OSTI ID:6099352

Turner, M S ^[1]; Wilczek, F ^[2]

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1. NASA/Fermilab Astrophysics Center, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510-0500 an (US) Departments of Physics and Astronomy Astrophysics, Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
2. Institute for Advanced Study, School of Natural Sciences, Princeton, New Jersey (USA)

If Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry is broken after inflation, the initial axion angle is a random variable on cosmological scales; based on this fact, estimates of the relic-axion mass density give too large a value if the axion mass is less than about 10{sup {minus}6} eV. This bound can be evaded if the Universe underwent inflation after PQ symmetry breaking and if the observable Universe happens to be a region where the initial axion angle was atypically small, {theta}{sub 1}{approx lt}({ital m}{sub {ital a}}/10{sup {minus}6} eV{sup 0.59}.) We show consideration of fluctuations induced during inflation severely constrains the latter alternative.

• OSTI ID: 6099352
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (USA), Vol. 66:1; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
AXIONS
MASS
COSMOLOGY
INFLATIONARY UNIVERSE
GOLDSTONE BOSONS
LIMITING VALUES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS
SCALAR FIELDS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
BOSONS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FIELD THEORIES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POSTULATED PARTICLES
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
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