Heavier W boson, dark matter, and gravitational waves from strings in an SO(10) axion model

May 10, 2022
20 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 106 (2022) 5, 055009
  • Published: Sep 1, 2022
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DOI:

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Abstract: (APS)
Inspired by the recent determination of the W-boson mass by the CDF collaboration, we revisit an SO(10) axion model in which a scalar SU(2)L triplet field with zero hypercharge is known to acquire a nonzero vacuum expectation value (VEV) through its mixing with the Standard Model Higgs doublet. The triplet VEV provides a sizable contribution to the W mass, which helps in significantly lowering the 7σ discrepancy between the Standard Model prediction and the higher CDF value for mW. We show that the relatively light triplet mass ((150)TeV) is compatible with gauge coupling unification and observable proton decay. An unbroken Z2 gauge symmetry, coupled with the presence of two fermionic 10-plets required to resolve the axion domain wall problem means that both axions and a stable intermediate mass (1091010GeV) fermion are plausible dark matter candidates. We also display the gravitational wave spectrum from the intermediate scale topologically stable cosmic strings predicted by the model.
Note:
  • 20 pages, 6 figures, published version
  • model: axion
  • symmetry: gauge
  • gravitational radiation: spectrum
  • W: mass
  • cosmic string: stability
  • p: decay
  • coupling: gauge
  • Higgs particle: doublet
  • axion: domain wall
  • triplet