Astrophysics (Index)About

axion

(A0)
(proposed light, electrically neutral elementary particle)

An axion is a proposed elementary particle, which would explain some experimental results in particle theory, and could comprise cold dark matter (CDM) (or warm or perhaps most likely, hot). The axion was theorized in 1977 to fill out the standard model of particle physics to resolve the strong CP problem, i.e., explaining why the strong force never violates CP symmetry, a symmetry which is never seen violated, but no reason is known why. They would be a dark matter candidate if they exist and have mass. Some fuzzy dark matter models suggest dark matter (or some of it) consists of ultra-light axions, orders-of-magnitude less massive than any known particle.

The term axion-like particle (ALP) has been used for theorized particles similar to axions, generally used for such light particles that do not solve the strong CP problem, i.e., they are theorized to solve some other mystery. The term has been used, for example, for a fuzzy dark matter particle (with sufficiently low mass) that doesn't happen to solve the strong CP problem.


(physics,particle,model,dark matter,theory)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axion_Dark_Matter_Experiment
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009NJPh...11j5008D/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017PhRvD..95d3541H/abstract
https://www.astro.princeton.edu/~dns/MAP/Bahcall/node16.html

Referenced by pages:
Axion Dark Matter Experiment (ADMX)
CMBFAST
CUORE
dark matter (DM)
exotic star
fuzzy dark matter (FDM)
WIMP

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