Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
We show that Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) significantly constrains axion-like dark matter. The axion acts like an oscillating QCD θ angle that redshifts in the early Universe, increasing the neutron–proton mass difference at neutron freeze-out. An axion-like particle that couples too strongly to Q...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2014-10-01
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| Series: | Physics Letters B |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269314005619 |
| _version_ | 1811340427908874240 |
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| author | Kfir Blum Raffaele Tito D'Agnolo Mariangela Lisanti Benjamin R. Safdi |
| author_facet | Kfir Blum Raffaele Tito D'Agnolo Mariangela Lisanti Benjamin R. Safdi |
| author_sort | Kfir Blum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We show that Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) significantly constrains axion-like dark matter. The axion acts like an oscillating QCD θ angle that redshifts in the early Universe, increasing the neutron–proton mass difference at neutron freeze-out. An axion-like particle that couples too strongly to QCD results in the underproduction of He4 during BBN and is thus excluded. The BBN bound overlaps with much of the parameter space that would be covered by proposed searches for a time-varying neutron EDM. The QCD axion does not couple strongly enough to affect BBN. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:41:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9d5ff0d164834e48a932352a6474dbd5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0370-2693 1873-2445 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:41:46Z |
| publishDate | 2014-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physics Letters B |
| spelling | doaj.art-9d5ff0d164834e48a932352a6474dbd52022-12-22T02:34:42ZengElsevierPhysics Letters B0370-26931873-24452014-10-01737C303310.1016/j.physletb.2014.07.059Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang NucleosynthesisKfir Blum0Raffaele Tito D'Agnolo1Mariangela Lisanti2Benjamin R. Safdi3Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540, United StatesInstitute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540, United StatesDepartment of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United StatesDepartment of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United StatesWe show that Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) significantly constrains axion-like dark matter. The axion acts like an oscillating QCD θ angle that redshifts in the early Universe, increasing the neutron–proton mass difference at neutron freeze-out. An axion-like particle that couples too strongly to QCD results in the underproduction of He4 during BBN and is thus excluded. The BBN bound overlaps with much of the parameter space that would be covered by proposed searches for a time-varying neutron EDM. The QCD axion does not couple strongly enough to affect BBN.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269314005619 |
| spellingShingle | Kfir Blum Raffaele Tito D'Agnolo Mariangela Lisanti Benjamin R. Safdi Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Physics Letters B |
| title | Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis |
| title_full | Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis |
| title_fullStr | Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis |
| title_short | Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis |
| title_sort | constraining axion dark matter with big bang nucleosynthesis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269314005619 |
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