Axions as Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Dark Radiation
Luca Visinelli
Published: 2025/9/21
Abstract
Axions and axion-like particles are ubiquitous in extensions of the Standard Model and offer a unifying perspective on open problems in cosmology. Depending on their mass and interactions, axions can act as dark matter, drive cosmic acceleration as dark energy, or contribute to the relativistic background as dark radiation. Motivated by the plenary talk at TAUP 2025, this proceeding reviews the phenomenology of light bosons in the early and late Universe, with a focus on the theoretical foundations, observational signatures, and experimental prospects.