Numerical study of the Schwinger effect in axion inflation

Yann, Cado,; Quirós, M.

doi:10.1103/physrevd.106.123527

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Refs. [34,[37][38][39][40] numerically integrated the evolution for the case of a homogeneous inflaton coupled to a large set of gauge-field modes A λ (τ, k). The authors of Ref.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Axion inflation in the strong-backreaction regime: decay of the Anber-Sorbo solution

von Eckardstein,

Peloso,

Schmitz

et al. 2023

J. High Energ. Phys.

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Axion inflation coupled to Abelian gauge fields via a Chern-Simons-like term of the form $$ \phi F\overset{\sim }{F} $$ ϕF F ~ represents an attractive inflationary model with a rich phenomenology, including the production of magnetic fields, black holes, gravitational waves, and the matter-antimatter asymmetry. In this work, we focus on a particular regime of axion inflation, the so-called Anber-Sorbo (AS) solution, in which the energy loss in the gauge-field production provides the dominant source of friction for the inflaton motion. We revisit the AS solution and confirm that it is unstable. Contrary to earlier numerical works that attempted to reach the AS solution starting from a regime of weak backreaction, we perform, for the first time, a numerical evolution starting directly from the regime of strong backreaction. Our analysis strongly suggests that, at least as long as one neglects spatial inhomogeneities in the inflaton field, the AS solution has no basin of attraction, not even a very small one that might have been missed in previous numerical studies. Our analysis employs an arsenal of analytical and numerical techniques, some established and some newly introduced, including (1) linear perturbation theory along the lines of ref. [1], (2) the gradient expansion formalism (GEF) developed in ref. [2], (3) a new linearized version of the GEF, and (4) the standard mode-by-mode approach in momentum space in combination with input from the GEF. All these methods yield consistent results confirming the instability of the AS solution, which renders the dynamics of axion inflation in the strong-backreaction regime even more interesting than previously believed.

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“…Refs. [34,[37][38][39][40] numerically integrated the evolution for the case of a homogeneous inflaton coupled to a large set of gauge-field modes A λ (τ, k). The authors of Ref.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Axion inflation in the strong-backreaction regime: decay of the Anber-Sorbo solution

von Eckardstein,

Peloso,

Schmitz

et al. 2023

J. High Energ. Phys.

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“…Therefore, such modes do not contribute to the above classical observables and are excluded from the integration (see Ref. [19] for more details).…”

Section: Gauge Fields Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ii) The CP violation in the CKM matrix is too weak to generate the BAU [6][7][8][9], so an extra source of CP violation is required. Both problems were solved assuming that inflation is driven by a scalar field, the inflaton, with a dimension 5 operator coupling it to the (CP-odd) hypercharge Chern-Simons density F F and generating, at the end of inflation, an explosive production of helical hypermagnetic fields [10][11][12] relaxing its helicity into the baryon asymmetry at the electroweak crossover [13][14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Note that a dimension 5 operator φF F in a model where the inflaton φ is an axion-like particle does not provide a constant ξ, but rather a exponential behavior given by (3.9) with K(χ) = 1, where ξ changes the most at the end of inflation.2 A linear term in the function F would explicitly break gauge invariance in the symmetric phase.3 See Ref [19]. for the method.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Baryogenesis from Higgs Inflation

Yann¹,

Quirós²

2023

Preprint

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If the inflaton field is coupled to the hypercharge Chern-Simons density F F , an explosive production of helical gauge fields when inflation ends can trigger baryogenesis at the electroweak phase transition. Besides, Higgs inflation identifies the inflaton with the Higgs field H, thus relating cosmological observables to properties of electroweak physics. In this paper we merge both approaches: the helical gauge fields are produced at the end of Higgs inflation from the coupling |H| 2 F F . In the metric formulation of gravity we found a window in the parameter space for electroweak baryogenesis consistent with all experimental observations. Conversely, for the Palatini formalism the non-gaussianity bounds strongly constrain the helicity produced at the end of inflation, forbidding an efficient baryogenesis.

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“…The efficiency of gauge-field production during axion inflation and its dependence on ∆ has recently also been investigated in ref [64]…”

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confidence: 99%

Wash-in leptogenesis after axion inflation

Domcke

Kamada

Mukaida

et al. 2023

J. High Energ. Phys.

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CP violation and the violation of baryon-minus-lepton number B−L do not necessarily have to occur simultaneously in order to accomplish successful leptogenesis. Instead, it suffices if new CP-violating interactions at high energies result in primordial charge asymmetries, which are then reprocessed into a nonvanishing B−L asymmetry by right-handed neutrinos (RHNs) at lower energies. In this paper, we study this novel mechanism known as wash-in leptogenesis, utilizing axion inflation as the source of high-scale CP violation. We specifically consider axion inflation coupled to the Standard Model hypercharge sector, which results in the dual production of hypermagnetic helicity and fermionic charge asymmetries. Although the survival of these charges is endangered by sphaleron processes, magnetic diffusion, and the chiral plasma instability, we find a large range of viable scenarios. We consistently account for RHN flavor effects and coherence among the Standard Model lepton flavors across a wide range of RHN masses. We find a lower bound of 105···9 GeV on the mass of the lightest RHN involved in wash-in leptogenesis, depending on the onset of turbulence in the chiral plasma and the Hubble scale of inflation. Our model is representative of a broader class of new leptogenesis scenarios and suggests interesting observational signatures with regard to intergalactic magnetic fields, primordial black holes, and gravitational waves.

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Numerical study of the Schwinger effect in axion inflation

Cited by 7 publications

References 31 publications

Axion inflation in the strong-backreaction regime: decay of the Anber-Sorbo solution

Axion inflation in the strong-backreaction regime: decay of the Anber-Sorbo solution

Baryogenesis from Higgs Inflation

Wash-in leptogenesis after axion inflation

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