Higher axion strings

Abstract We study the minimal requirements to obtain axion strings for axions with exponentially good quality. These ingredients appear in theories where an axion coming from a higher-form gauge field mixes with the phase of a complex scalar field. The resulting axion is perturbatively massless and...

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Main Authors: Vazha Loladze, Arthur Platschorre, Mario Reig
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-08-01
Series:Journal of High Energy Physics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2025)182
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author Vazha Loladze
Arthur Platschorre
Mario Reig
author_facet Vazha Loladze
Arthur Platschorre
Mario Reig
author_sort Vazha Loladze
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We study the minimal requirements to obtain axion strings for axions with exponentially good quality. These ingredients appear in theories where an axion coming from a higher-form gauge field mixes with the phase of a complex scalar field. The resulting axion is perturbatively massless and inherits a high-quality shift symmetry from the global higher-form symmetry while being compatible with a post-inflationary axion scenario. Axions produced in this manner share features of both extra-dimensional and ordinary axions but are ultimately distinct from either. We refer to such axions as higher axions, as the mechanism responsible for the mixing is that of higher-groups. We present a simple toy model on a 5-dimensional manifold with boundary. The boundary hosts the complex scalar that provides axion strings through standard mechanisms. In addition, we study how these scenarios may arise in heterotic and type II string theory compactifications.
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spelling doaj-art-b307f10e4e7b4024817ade2e71fe5f242025-08-24T11:05:09ZengSpringerOpenJournal of High Energy Physics1029-84792025-08-012025812210.1007/JHEP08(2025)182Higher axion stringsVazha Loladze0Arthur Platschorre1Mario Reig2Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of OxfordRudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of OxfordRudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of OxfordAbstract We study the minimal requirements to obtain axion strings for axions with exponentially good quality. These ingredients appear in theories where an axion coming from a higher-form gauge field mixes with the phase of a complex scalar field. The resulting axion is perturbatively massless and inherits a high-quality shift symmetry from the global higher-form symmetry while being compatible with a post-inflationary axion scenario. Axions produced in this manner share features of both extra-dimensional and ordinary axions but are ultimately distinct from either. We refer to such axions as higher axions, as the mechanism responsible for the mixing is that of higher-groups. We present a simple toy model on a 5-dimensional manifold with boundary. The boundary hosts the complex scalar that provides axion strings through standard mechanisms. In addition, we study how these scenarios may arise in heterotic and type II string theory compactifications.https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2025)182Axions and ALPsExtra DimensionsGlobal SymmetriesString Models
spellingShingle Vazha Loladze
Arthur Platschorre
Mario Reig
Higher axion strings
Journal of High Energy Physics
Axions and ALPs
Extra Dimensions
Global Symmetries
String Models
title Higher axion strings
title_full Higher axion strings
title_fullStr Higher axion strings
title_full_unstemmed Higher axion strings
title_short Higher axion strings
title_sort higher axion strings
topic Axions and ALPs
Extra Dimensions
Global Symmetries
String Models
url https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2025)182
work_keys_str_mv AT vazhaloladze higheraxionstrings
AT arthurplatschorre higheraxionstrings
AT marioreig higheraxionstrings