Schwinger effect in axion inflation on a lattice

Abstract

We present the first lattice simulations of the nonlinear evolution after axion inflation by self-consistently incorporating currents arising from Schwinger pair production. The tachyonically amplified gauge fields trigger the growth of Schwinger currents, leading to universal values for the conductivity and magnetic field at the onset of strong backreaction and subsequent quenching of gauge field production. We show that the Schwinger effect (prematurely) saturates gauge field production, thereby diminishing the prospects of high scale axion inflation magnetogenesis as a viable solution for blazar observations.