QCD-driven dark matter: AQNs formation and observational tests

TL;DR

This paper proposes a QCD-based model where dark matter consists of dense quark-antiquark aggregates stabilized by axion domain walls, linking dark matter, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and possibly dark energy.

Contribution

It introduces the QCD-AQN framework, a novel scenario unifying dark matter and matter-antimatter asymmetry with observational constraints and tests.

Findings

The QCD-AQN model explains dark matter as dense quark-antiquark objects.

It provides a unified explanation for dark matter and matter-antimatter asymmetry.

The framework explores observational tests and a QCD-based dark energy scenario.

Abstract

The nature of dark matter remains a central problem in cosmology. A compelling possibility is that dark matter is macroscopic, consisting of composite objects formed in the early Universe. We introduce the QCD-AQN framework, a well-motivated scenario in which dark matter is composed of dense aggregates of quark and antiquark matter stabilised by axion domain walls. The framework proposes a unified explanation for both dark matter and the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry. Particular emphasis is placed on existing observational constraints and on observational tests. Finally, we explore a possible QCD-based scenario for dark energy.