18–23 Aug 2025
University of California at Santa Cruz
US/Pacific timezone

Cheshire θ terms, Aharonov-Bohm effects, and axions

21 Aug 2025, 17:30
20m
Social Sciences 2: 075 (UC Santa Cruz)

Social Sciences 2: 075

UC Santa Cruz

Non-SUSY extensions of the Standard Model Non-SUSY extensions of the Standard Model

Speaker

Gongjun Choi

Description

We discuss unusual θ terms that can appear in field theories that allow global vortices. These "Cheshire θ terms" induce Aharonov-Bohm effects for some particles that move around vortices. For example, a Cheshire θ term can appear in QCD coupled to an axion and induces Aharonov-Bohm effects for baryons and leptons moving around axion strings. We point out a potential experimental signature left on the spectrum of gravitational waves from axion cosmic string network by the Cheshire θ term.

Author

Gongjun Choi

Co-authors

Aleksey Cherman (University of Minnesota) Maria Neuzil (University of Minnesota) Shi Chen (University of Minnesota)

Presentation materials