Testing QCD Axion quality at Gravitational Wave Observatories

by Fabrizio Rompineve (CERN)

Wednesday 1 Dec 2021, 16:30 → 18:30 Europe/Zurich

4/3-006 - TH Conference Room (CERN)

The axion solution to the strong CP problem is delicately sensitive to Peccei-Quinnbreaking contributions that are misaligned with respect to QCD instantons. Heavy QCD axion models are appealing because they avoid this so-called “quality problem”. In this talk, I discuss how generic realizations of this framework can be probed by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA interferometers, through the stochastic gravitational wave (GW) signal sourced by the long-lived axionic string-domain wall network, and by upcoming measurements of the neutron Electric Dipole Moment. Multi-axion models and predictions for future searches at GW interferometers and Pulsar Timing Arrays are also discussed.