Axions in a highly protected gauge symmetry model

TL;DR

This paper explores a gauge symmetry-based model inspired by clockwork theories to protect axion and ALP properties, analyzing their potential as dark matter candidates and the interplay between symmetry protection, mass hierarchy, and anomalous couplings.

Contribution

It introduces a novel gauge symmetry framework for axions and ALPs, linking protection mechanisms, mass hierarchy, and couplings, with implications for dark matter.

Findings

The model enhances protection of the axion mass against gravitational corrections.

It establishes conditions for ALPs to be viable dark matter candidates.

The model is economical for very light ALP dark matter with correct relic abundance.

Abstract

We study QCD axion or cosmological axion-like particles (ALPs) in a model inspired by the recent interest in 4-dimensional clockwork models, with the global symmetry being accidentally enforced by a gauge abelian quiver with scalar bifundamental fields. For the QCD axion, we analyze the connection between the degree of protection of the axion mass against gravitational corrections, the explanation of the hierarchy $f_a \ll M_P$ and the number of colored fermions needed to generate anomalous couplings to gluons, all linked together by the underlying gauge symmetries. Based on that model and on the comparison with earlier models in the literature, we derive certain general conclusions on QCD axion models that use accidental global symmetries. For the ALPs, assuming that their mass is solely given by gravitational corrections, we identify the parameter space where the decay constant and the mass are consistent with the DM abundance, and we show that this clockwork-inspired model is a particularly economical model for a very light ALP DM candidate.