Primer on Axion Physics

Abstract

I review the canonical axion potential, with an emphasis on the field theory underlying radial and angular modes of complex scalar fields. I present the explicit calculation of the instanton-induced breaking of the Goldstone field direction necessary to derive the canonical axion mass and decay constant relation. The primer is intended to serve an audience with elementary quantum field theory expertise.

Comments: 15 pages, 1 figure; invited contribution to Annalen der Physik