QCD axion production in the early Universe

A population of relativistic QCD axions can be produced in the early Universe, via scatterings with Standard Model particles. This can be searched for in cosmological datasets, which therefore provide the opportunity to discover/constrain the QCD axion, independently of astrophysical and/or laboratory probes. 

In this talk, after reviewing the subject, I present an improved calculation of the relic abundance of such “hot” axions from scatterings with pions below the QCD crossover, as well as the resulting upper bound on the QCD axion mass. I then discuss the exciting outlook of upcoming cosmological surveys, which may probe otherwise unexplored regions of the QCD axion parameter space. I highlight the need of a non-perturbative calculation of axion production rates throughout the QCD crossover, to fully exploit the reach of such datasets.