The monodromic axion-photon coupling

We consider the general form of the axion coupling to photons in the axion-Maxwell theory. On general grounds this coupling takes the form of a monodromic function of the axion, which we call g(a), multiplying the Chern-Pontryagin density FF~ of the photon. We show that the non-linearity of g(a) is...

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Main Authors: Agrawal, P, Platschorre, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2024
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author Agrawal, P
Platschorre, A
author_facet Agrawal, P
Platschorre, A
author_sort Agrawal, P
collection OXFORD
description We consider the general form of the axion coupling to photons in the axion-Maxwell theory. On general grounds this coupling takes the form of a monodromic function of the axion, which we call g(a), multiplying the Chern-Pontryagin density FF~ of the photon. We show that the non-linearity of g(a) is a spurion for the shift symmetry of the axion. In this context, when g(a) ≠ ℤa, the linearized coupling of the axion g′(a) is not quantized and there is a correlated mass term for the axion. Singularities in g(a) due to the fast rearrangement of degrees of freedom are shown to have corresponding cusps and singularities in the axion potential. We derive the general form of g(a) for the QCD axion, axions with perturbatively broken shift symmetries and axions descending from extra dimensions. In all cases, we show that there is a uniform general form of the monodromic function g(a) and it is connected to the axion potential.
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spelling oxford-uuid:13698405-1427-42e4-bfc6-480c1dbd27482024-07-20T14:12:59ZThe monodromic axion-photon couplingJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:13698405-1427-42e4-bfc6-480c1dbd2748EnglishJisc Publications RouterSpringer2024Agrawal, PPlatschorre, AWe consider the general form of the axion coupling to photons in the axion-Maxwell theory. On general grounds this coupling takes the form of a monodromic function of the axion, which we call g(a), multiplying the Chern-Pontryagin density FF~ of the photon. We show that the non-linearity of g(a) is a spurion for the shift symmetry of the axion. In this context, when g(a) ≠ ℤa, the linearized coupling of the axion g′(a) is not quantized and there is a correlated mass term for the axion. Singularities in g(a) due to the fast rearrangement of degrees of freedom are shown to have corresponding cusps and singularities in the axion potential. We derive the general form of g(a) for the QCD axion, axions with perturbatively broken shift symmetries and axions descending from extra dimensions. In all cases, we show that there is a uniform general form of the monodromic function g(a) and it is connected to the axion potential.
spellingShingle Agrawal, P
Platschorre, A
The monodromic axion-photon coupling
title The monodromic axion-photon coupling
title_full The monodromic axion-photon coupling
title_fullStr The monodromic axion-photon coupling
title_full_unstemmed The monodromic axion-photon coupling
title_short The monodromic axion-photon coupling
title_sort monodromic axion photon coupling
work_keys_str_mv AT agrawalp themonodromicaxionphotoncoupling
AT platschorrea themonodromicaxionphotoncoupling
AT agrawalp monodromicaxionphotoncoupling
AT platschorrea monodromicaxionphotoncoupling