Axion-induced Casimir force between nuclei and dynamical axion pair creation

Abstract

We study the interaction between axions and nuclei by combining the Peccei-Quinn mechanism with results from quantum chromo-dynamics (QCD) which imply that the QCD condensates are reduced within nuclear matter. Thus, the effective axion mass is also reduced, yielding a finite axion-nucleon scattering cross section. Even in the absence of real axions, this interaction would manifest itself in a Casimir type attraction between two nuclei. Finally, accelerated nuclei can create entangled pairs of axions via the dynamical Casimir effect (or as signatures of the Unruh effect).