Strongly nonlinear axion dynamics
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Axions and axion-like particles are well-motivated candidates for Beyond-the-Standard-Model (BSM) physics. While the present-day dynamics of axions are typically well approximated as nearly-free massive particles, their production in the early universe via the misalignment mechanism can allow them to access strong self-interactions. This thesis focuses on the consequences of these strong self-interactions for astrophysics and cosmology. In the first part of this thesis, we consider the dynamics of quasi-bound states called oscillons, and construct a new formalism to calculate their structure and properties. We use this formalism to construct a family of scalar field theories whose oscillons are cosmologically long-lived and can lead to present-day astrophysical signatures. The second part of this thesis focuses on coupled axion systems, and we show how the kinds of potentials that naturally arise in models of the axiverse can lead to a new kind of resonant energy transfer between axions. This resonance causes energy to flow from the axions with larger decay constants to those with smaller decay constants, generically enhancing direct detection signatures. Further, this resonance enhances density perturbations, leading to the formation of dense galactic substructure and oscillons. We explore the possible signatures of this resonance in direct detection experiments such as ADMX and DM Radio, as well as astrophysical signatures in astrometric and photometric probes of galactic substructure.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2022; ©2022 |
| Publication date | 2022; 2022 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Cyncynates, David Christopher |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Dimopoulos, Savas, 1952- |
| Thesis advisor | Dimopoulos, Savas, 1952- |
| Thesis advisor | Graham, Peter (Peter Wickelgren) |
| Thesis advisor | Wagoner, R. H. (Robert H.) |
| Degree committee member | Graham, Peter (Peter Wickelgren) |
| Degree committee member | Wagoner, R. H. (Robert H.) |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Physics |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | David Cyncynates. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Physics. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2022. |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/dm114rr1586 |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2022 by David Christopher Cyncynates
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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