Axion-Higgs cosmology: Cosmic microwave background and cosmological tensions

Abstract

Non-canonical cosmology with an uplifted Higgs vacuum expectation value (Higgs-VEV) in the early universe is believed to provide the solution for existing tensions within the $\Lambda$CDM regime. We recently proposed a theoretical model called axi-Higgs to explore this framework. The axi-Higgs model features an ultralight axion with mass $m_a \sim 10^{-29}$ eV, which couples to the Higgs field such that the Higgs-VEV is driven by the axion background evolution. Phenomenologically, the axi-Higgs model is equivalent to $\Lambda$CDM+$m_e$+$\omega_a$ which is defined as $\Lambda$CDM with electron mass variation and the presence of an ultralight axion. In this paper, we perform Markov Chain Monte Carlo analyses to investigate the parameter space of axi-Higgs and compare it with $\Lambda$CDM, $\Lambda$CDM+$m_e$ where only electron mass variation is allowed, and $\Lambda$CDM+$\omega_a$ where only an ultralight axion is present. Combining observational data from Cosmic Microwave Background, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations, weak-lensing cosmic shear survey we found $H_0 = 69.4 \pm 1.3$ km/s/Mpc, which reduces the Hubble tension to approximately $2.4\sigma$. Including data from supernovae Type IA and local Hubble measurement from SH0ES we found $H_0 = 71.34 \pm 0.96$ km/s/Mpc. The presence of this Higgs-VEV-driving axion may be tested by atomic clock and quasar spectral measurements in the near future.