Updated cosmological constraints on axion dark energy with DESI

We present updated constraints on the parameters of an axion dark energy model, for which we took into account the properties of its characteristic potential and its full cosmological evolution. We show that the values of the axion parameters appear sufficiently constrained by the data, including the latest DESI DR1, and are consistent with the theoretical expectations of a field mass ${m}_{a}$ in the ultralight regime $\mathrm{log}({m}_{a}{c}^{2}/\mathrm{eV})\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}32.60\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12$, and an effective energy scale ${f}_{a}$ close to the reduced Planck energy $\mathrm{log}({f}_{a}/{M}_{\mathrm{Pl}})\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.28\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.19$. Our results also support the idea of dynamical dark energy, although Bayesian evidence still favors the phenomenological dark energy model ${w}_{0}{w}_{a}$ over the axion dark energy, with the Bayes factor indicating moderate and weak strength of the evidence, respectively, when the models are compared to the cosmological constant $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$. However, the results suggest that axion dark energy remains a well-motivated model and its parameters may be better constrained if the upcoming DESI data show further evidence for dynamical dark energy.

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Journal
Physical review. D/Physical review. D.
Published
2025-09-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/6pqs-xjln
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.62
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article

Updated cosmological constraints on axion dark energy with DESI

D. Kirkby, Andrew Lambert, J. Moustakas, M. Schubnell et al.
4 citations
Physical review. D/Physical review. D.
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
4.62
article

Updated cosmological constraints on axion dark energy with DESI

D. Kirkby, Andrew Lambert, J. Moustakas, M. Schubnell, R. Miquel, Gregory Tarlé, F. Lozano-Rodríguez, José Edgar Madriz Aguilar, David Sprayberry, L. Le Guillou, D. Bianchi, Ignasi Pérez-Ràfols, Axel de la Macorra, Simone Ferraro, David J. Brooks, M. Landriau, Marc Manera, E. Sanchez, G. Gutierrez, Satya Gontcho A Gontcho, ENRIQUE GAZTAÑAGA, Joseph Harry Silber, Cullan Howlett, Arjun T. Dey, J. E. Forero-Romero, Steven P. Ahlen, Aaron Meisner, L. Arturo Ureña–López, Theodore S. Kisner, R. Kehoe, K. Honscheid, Hu Zou, Graziano Rossi, M Ishak, T. Claybaugh, B. A. Weaver, Francisco Prada, J. O. Román-Herrera
article en
4 citations

Abstract

We present updated constraints on the parameters of an axion dark energy model, for which we took into account the properties of its characteristic potential and its full cosmological evolution. We show that the values of the axion parameters appear sufficiently constrained by the data, including the latest DESI DR1, and are consistent with the theoretical expectations of a field mass ${m}_{a}$ in the ultralight regime $\mathrm{log}({m}_{a}{c}^{2}/\mathrm{eV})\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}32.60\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.12$, and an effective energy scale ${f}_{a}$ close to the reduced Planck energy $\mathrm{log}({f}_{a}/{M}_{\mathrm{Pl}})\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}0.28\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.19$. Our results also support the idea of dynamical dark energy, although Bayesian evidence still favors the phenomenological dark energy model ${w}_{0}{w}_{a}$ over the axion dark energy, with the Bayes factor indicating moderate and weak strength of the evidence, respectively, when the models are compared to the cosmological constant $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$. However, the results suggest that axion dark energy remains a well-motivated model and its parameters may be better constrained if the upcoming DESI data show further evidence for dynamical dark energy.

Physical review. D/Physical review. D.Vol. 112(10)
Boston University (US), Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES), Universidad de Guanajuato (MX), Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (US), Institute of Space Sciences (ES), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), State Street (United States) (US), The University of Texas at Dallas (US), The University of Queensland (AU), Southern Methodist University (US), Institute for High Energy Physics (ES), University of Milan (IT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), University of California, Irvine (US), University of Michigan (US), Brera Astronomical Observatory (IT), University of California System (US), Sejong University (KR), Sorbonne Université (FR), Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (ES), Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies (FR), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (ES), Community Science and Data Center (US), NSF NOIRLab (US), Institute of Space Science - INFLPR Subsidiary (RO), Universidad de Los Andes (BO), Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (ES), National Astronomical Observatories (CN), Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (ES), Laboratoire Médiations (FR), Institute of Science and Technology, University College London (GB), The Ohio State University (US), University of Portsmouth (GB), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX), Siena College (US), University of California, Berkeley (US), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (ES)
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
4.62
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