Speaker
Description
Among various predictions of string compactifications, axions hold a pivotal role, as they provide a unique avenue to tie UV physics to experiments.
Most experimental setups aim to detect a signal using the direct coupling between the axion and the Standard Model.
If string axions coupled to Abelian gauge fields undergo slow-roll during inflation, they produce a multi-peak GW signal whose magnitude depends on the details of the compactification. We build on previous workman in Type IIB string theory, where the Chern-Simons coupling is highly constrained, limiting the viability of this mechanism. Motivated by this, we turn to heterotic string theory, where we explore the role of axions and their Chern-Simons coupling to a hidden Abelian gauge field, investigating its potential observational consequences.
