Axions are peculiar hypothetical particles that could both solve the CP problem of quantum chromodynamics and at the same time account for the dark matter of the universe. Based on a series of lectures by world experts in this field held at CERN (Geneva), this volume provides a pedagogical introduction to the theory, cosmology and astrophysics of these fascinating particles and gives an up-to-date account of the status and prospect of ongoing and planned experimental searches. Learners and practitioners of astroparticle physics will find in this book both a concise introduction and a current reference work to a showcase topic that connects the "inner space" of the elementary particle world with the "outer space" of the universe at large.

Inhalt

Axion Theory.- The Strong CP Problem and Axions.- Axion Cosmology.- Astrophysical Axion Bounds.- Axions and Large Extra Dimensions.- Axions and Their Relatives.- Observations and Experiments.- Magnetic and Electric Dipole Moments in Storage Rings.- Photon-Axion Conversion in Intergalactic Magnetic Fields and Cosmological Consequences.- Microwave Cavity Searches.- Recent Results from the PVLAS Experiment on the Magnetized Vacuum.- Axion Searches in the Past, at Present, and in the Near Future.