From strong interactions to Dark Matter: the non-perturbative QCD sphaleron rate

Abstract

Acceptance plenary talk for the 2025 Kenneth G.~Wilson Award for Excellence in Lattice Field Theory: For significant contributions to the understanding of topology in QCD, QCD-like, and large-$N_c$ gauge theories, including algorithmic developments to reduce topological freezing, studies of Dirac spectral properties, and axion phenomenology.

Comments: 20 pages, 7 figures, Contribution to the 42nd International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE2025), 2-8 Nov. 2025, Mumbai, India