Topic: QCD axions

Claudio Manzari connects astrophysical observations and precision flavor measurements to two unresolved aspects of CP symmetry. For the strong CP problem, the talk considers QCD axions produced in a supernova core and converted to gamma rays by surrounding magnetic fields. A Galactic supernova could expose this distinctive transient, motivating the GALAXY network of telescopes monitoring the full sky. The second part examines the origin of flavor-sector CP violation through precise measurements of the CKM unitarity triangle. Possible hints of spontaneous CP violation are discussed alongside th

Benjamin Safdi studies the axion mass constraints obtained when grand unification and string theory are considered together with the QCD axion. Unitarity reasoning and explicit string compactifications, including examples from the Kreuzer–Skarke type-IIB ensemble, favor masses between 10^-11 and 10^-8 electronvolts. The talk explains how these theoretical frameworks combine to restrict a candidate extension of the Standard Model.