Kinetic Axion Dark Matter in String Corrected $f(R)$ Gravity

TL;DR

This paper explores how non-minimal coupling of Gauss-Bonnet terms to the axion field in string-corrected $f(R)$ gravity significantly alters inflationary dynamics and the transition to reheating, impacting dark matter modeling.

Contribution

It introduces a novel formalism incorporating Gauss-Bonnet terms into kinetic axion $R^2$ gravity, revealing new inflationary and reheating behaviors.

Findings

Gauss-Bonnet terms suppress kinetic dominance at inflation's end.

Inflationary era is shorter, with immediate transition to reheating.

Reheating driven by $R^2$ fluctuations after inflation.

Abstract

Under the main assumption that the axion scalar field mainly composes the dark matter in the Universe, in this paper we shall extend the formalism of kinetic axion $R^2$ gravity to include Gauss-Bonnet terms non-minimally coupled to the axion field. As we demonstrate, this non-trivial Gauss-Bonnet term has dramatic effects on the inflationary phenomenology and on the kinetic axion scenario. Specifically, in the context of our formalism, the kinetic axion ceases to be kinetically dominated at the end of the inflationary era, since the condition $\dot{\phi}\simeq 0$ naturally emerges in the theory. Thus, unlike the case of kinetic axion $R^2$ gravity, the Gauss-Bonnet corrected kinetic axion $R^2$ gravity leads to an inflationary era which is not further extended and the reheating era commences right after the inflationary era, driven by the $R^2$ fluctuations.