Constraints on Axion Models

Two particular classes of axion models are presented, each one yielding a lower bound on the axion decay constant, based though on different considerations. In the first class only some, and not all, of the right-handed quarks have PQ charges, whereas in the second one the left-handed sector of the same quarks is taken into account as well. In the first case we find that bounds coming from astrophysics are significantly relaxed compared with those for the DFSZ. As for the second class, the astrophysical constraints proved to be less severe (with one exception), than those coming from FCNC processes.Comment: Talk given at the 5th IFT Workshop: Axions, U. of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA, 13-15 Mar 1998. Based on hep-ph/9708281 and hep-ph/9807363. 5pp, 1 eps fig, uses espcrc2 and graphics style

Constraints on Axion Models from K+→π+aK^+\to\pi^+ a

We explore a new class of axion models in which some, but not all, of the left-handed quarks have a Peccei-Quinn symmetry. These models are potentially afflicted by flavour changing neutral currents. We derive the bounds on the Peccei-Quinn symmetry-breaking scale from bounds on the $K^+\to \pi^+ a$ branching ratio, showing that in some cases they are even stronger than the astrophysical ones, but still not strong enough to kill off the models.Comment: 15pp RevTeX, 1 eps fig, uses graphics style. Expanded discussion on massive scalars and pseudoscalars, typos. To appear in Physical Review

Constraints on Variant Axion Models

A particular class of variant axion models with two higgs doublets and a singlet is studied. In these models the axion couples either to the $u$-quark or $t$-quark or both, but not to $b$, $c$, $s$, or $d$. When the axion couples to only one quark the models possess the desirable feature of having no domain wall problem, which makes them viable candidates for a cosmological axion string scenario. We calculate the axion couplings to leptons, photons and nucleons, and the astrophysical constraints on the axion decay constant $v_a$ are investigated and compared to the DFSZ axion model. We find that the most restrictive lower bound on $v_a$, that from SN1987a, is lowered by up to a factor of about 30, depending on the model and also the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the higgs doublets. For scenarios with axionic strings, the allowed window for $v_a$ in the $u$ quark model can be more than two orders of magnitude. For inflationary scenarios, the cosmological upper bound on $v_a/N$, where $N$ is the QCD anomaly factor, is unaffected: however, the variant models have $N$ either 3 or 6 times smaller than the DFSZ model.Comment: 21pp RevTeX, 1 eps fig, uses graphics style, typo corrected, and corrected file sent this time. To appear in Physical Review