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Pich, A., Platschorre, A., & Reig, M. (2023). Electroweak mass difference of mesons. Phys. Rev. D, 108(9), 094044–6pp.
Abstract: We consider electroweak gauge boson corrections to the masses of pseudoscalar mesons to next to leading order in alpha s and 1/NC. The pion mass shift induced by the Z boson is shown to be m pi +/- – m pi 0 = -0.00201(12) MeV. While being small compared to the electromagnetic mass shift, the prediction lies about a factor of similar to 4 above the precision of the current experimental measurement and a factor O(10) below the precision of current lattice calculations. This motivates future implementations of these electroweak gauge boson effects on the lattice. Finally, we consider beyond standard model contributions to the pion mass difference.
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Reig, M. (2021). The stochastic axiverse. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 207–40pp.
Abstract: In addition to spectacular signatures such as black hole superradiance and the rotation of CMB polarization, the plenitude of axions appearing in the string axiverse may have potentially dangerous implications. An example is the cosmological overproduction of relic axions and moduli by the misalignment mechanism, more pronounced in regions where the signals mentioned above may be observable, that is for large axion decay constant. In this work, we study the minimal requirements to soften this problem and show that the fundamental requirement is a long period of low-scale inflation. However, in this case, if the inflationary Hubble scale is lower than around O(100) eV, no relic DM axion is produced in the early Universe. Cosmological production of some axions may be activated, via the misalignment mechanism, if their potential minimum changes between inflation and today. As a particular example, we study in detail how the maximal-misalignment mechanism dilutes the effect of dangerous axions and allows the production of axion DM in a controlled way. In this case, the potential of the axion that realises the mechanism shifts by a factor increment theta = pi between the inflationary epoch and today, and the axion starts to oscillate from the top of its potential. We also show that axions with masses m(a) similar to O(1 – 100) H-0 realising the maximal-misalignment mechanism generically behave as dark energy with a decay constant that can take values well below the Planck scale, avoiding problems associated to super-Planckian scales. Finally, we briefly study the basic phenomenological implications of the mechanism and comment on the compatibility of this type of maximally-misaligned quintessence with the swampland criteria.
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Huang, J. W., Madden, A., Racco, D., & Reig, M. (2020). Maximal axion misalignment from a minimal model. J. High Energy Phys., 10(10), 143–39pp.
Abstract: The QCD axion is one of the best motivated dark matter candidates. The misalignment mechanism is well known to produce an abundance of the QCD axion consistent with dark matter for an axion decay constant of order 10(12) GeV. For a smaller decay constant, the QCD axion, with Peccei-Quinn symmetry broken during inflation, makes up only a fraction of dark matter unless the axion field starts oscillating very close to the top of its potential, in a scenario called “large-misalignment”. In this scenario, QCD axion dark matter with a small axion decay constant is partially comprised of very dense structures. We present a simple dynamical model realising the large-misalignment mechanism. During inflation, the axion classically rolls down its potential approaching its minimum. After inflation, the Universe reheats to a high temperature and a modulus (real scalar field) changes the sign of its minimum dynamically, which changes the sign of the mass of a vector-like fermion charged under QCD. As a result, the minimum of the axion potential during inflation becomes the maximum of the potential after the Universe has cooled through the QCD phase transition and the axion starts oscillating. In this model, we can produce QCD axion dark matter with a decay constant as low as 6 x 10(9) GeV and an axion mass up to 1 meV. We also summarise the phenomenological implications of this mechanism for dark matter experiments and colliders.
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Escribano, P., Reig, M., & Vicente, A. (2020). Generalizing the Scotogenic model. J. High Energy Phys., 07(7), 097–25pp.
Abstract: The Scotogenic model is an economical setup that induces Majorana neutrino masses at the 1-loop level and includes a dark matter candidate. We discuss a generalization of the original Scotogenic model with arbitrary numbers of generations of singlet fermion and inert doublet scalar fields. First, the full form of the light neutrino mass matrix is presented, with some comments on its derivation and with special attention to some particular cases. The behavior of the theory at high energies is explored by solving the Renormalization Group Equations.
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Peinado, E., Reig, M., Srivastava, R., & Valle, J. W. F. (2020). Dirac neutrinos from Peccei-Quinn symmetry: A fresh look at the axion. Mod. Phys. Lett. A, 35(21), 2050176–9pp.
Abstract: We show that a very simple solution to the strong CP problem naturally leads to Dirac neutrinos. Small effective neutrino masses emerge from a type-I Dirac seesaw mechanism. Neutrino mass limits probe the axion parameters in regions currently inaccessible to conventional searches.
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Fuentes-Martin, J., Reig, M., & Vicente, A. (2019). Strong CP problem with low-energy emergent QCD: The 4321 case. Phys. Rev. D, 100(11), 115028–7pp.
Abstract: We analyze the strong CP problem and the implications for axion physics in the context of U-1 vector leptoquark models, recently put forward as an elegant solution to the hints of lepton flavor universality violation in B-meson decays. It is shown that in minimal gauge models containing the U-1 as a gauge boson, the Peccei-Quinn solution of the strong CP problem requires the introduction of two axions. Characteristic predictions for the associated axions can be deduced from the model parameter space hinted by B-physics, allowing the new axion sector to account for the dark matter of the Universe. We also provide a specific ultraviolet completion of the axion sector that connects the Peccei-Quinn mechanism to the generation of neutrino masses.
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Caputo, A., & Reig, M. (2019). Cosmic implications of a low-scale solution to the axion domain wall problem. Phys. Rev. D, 100(6), 063530–10pp.
Abstract: The post-inflationary breaking of Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry can lead to the cosmic domain wall catastrophe. In this paper we show how to avoid domain walls by implementing the instanton interference effect with a new interaction which itself breaks PQ symmetry and confines at an energy scale smaller than Lambda(QCD). We give a general description of the mechanism and consider its cosmological implications and constraints within a minimal model. Contrary to other mechanisms, we do not require an inverse phase transition or fine-tuned bias terms. Incidentally, the mechanism leads to the introduction of new self-interacting dark matter candidates and the possibility of producing gravitational waves in the frequency range of SKA. Unless a fine-tuned hidden sector is introduced, the mechanism predicts a QCD axion in the mass range 1-15 meV.
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Reig, M., Valle, J. W. F., & Yamada, M. (2019). Light majoron cold dark matter from topological defects and the formation of boson stars. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 09(9), 029–25pp.
Abstract: We show that for a relatively light majoron (<< 100 eV) non-thermal production from topological defects is an efficient production mechanism. Taking the type I seesaw as benchmark scheme, we estimate the primordial majoron abundance and determine the required parameter choices where it can account for the observed cosmological dark matter. The latter is consistent with the scale of unification. Possible direct detection of light majorons with future experiments such as PTOLEMY and the formation of boson stars from the majoron dark matter are also discussed.
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Reig, M. (2019). On the high-scale instanton interference effect: axion models without domain wall problem. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 167–13pp.
Abstract: We show that a new chiral, confining interaction can be used to break Peccei-Quinn symmetry dynamically and solve the domain wall problem, simultaneously. The resulting theory is an invisible QCD axion model without domain walls. No dangerous heavy relics appear.
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Reig, M., & Srivastava, R. (2019). Spontaneous proton decay and the origin of Peccei-Quinn symmetry. Phys. Lett. B, 790, 134–139.
Abstract: We propose a new interpretation of Peccei-Quinn symmetry within the Standard Model, identifying it with the axial B+L symmetry i.e. U (1)(PQ) equivalent to U (1)(gamma 5)(B+L). This new interpretation retains all the attractive features of Peccei-Quinn solution to strong CP problem but in addition also leads to several other new and interesting consequences. Owing to the identification U (1)(PQ) equivalent to U (1)(gamma 5)(B+L) the axion also behaves like Majoron inducing small seesaw masses for neutrinos after spontaneous symmetry breaking. Another novel feature of this identification is the phenomenon of spontaneous (and also chiral) proton decay with its decay rate associated with the axion decay constant. Low energy processes which can be used to test this interpretation are pointed out.
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