Speaker
Philip Sørensen
(University of Padova / INFN Padova)
Description
In this talk, I will review how both QCD axions and axion-like-particles may be produced as dark matter in the early universe. I will start with a quick theoretical motivation for why we should believe in the existence of axions in the first place, and I will then cover the main productions mechanisms which might be responsible for the production of axions as dark matter. This covers, in particular, the misalignment mechanism, but I will also briefly give an overview of other mechanisms, such as the decay of topological defects and misalignment variants such as trapped misalignment and kinetic misalignment.
Author
Philip Sørensen
(University of Padova / INFN Padova)