Level Crossing between QCD Axion and Axion-Like Particle

Abstract

We study a level crossing between the QCD axion and an axion-like particle, focusing on the recently found phenomenon, the axion roulette, where the axion-like particle runs along the potential, passing through many crests and troughs, until it gets trapped in one of the potential minima. We perform detailed numerical calculations to determine the parameter space where the axion roulette takes place, and as a result domain walls are likely formed. The domain wall network without cosmic strings is practically stable, and it is nothing but a cosmological disaster. In a certain case, one can make domain walls unstable and decay quickly by introducing an energy bias without spoiling the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong CP problem.