Evolution of the Primordial Axial Charge across Cosmic Times

We investigate collisional decay of the axial charge in an electron-photon plasma at temperatures 10 MeV-100 GeV. We demonstrate that the decay rate of the axial charge is first order in the fine-structure constant Gamma(flip) proportional to am(e)(2)/T and thus orders of magnitude greater than the naive estimate which has been in use for decades. This counterintuitive result arises through infrared divergences regularized at high temperature by environmental effects. The decay of axial charge plays an important role in the problems of leptogenesis and cosmic magnetogenesis.

Automated summary

Investigating the collisional decay of the axial charge in an electron-photon plasma at temperatures 10 MeV-100 GeV, it was demonstrated that the decay rate is proportional to am(e)(2)/T and significantly greater than the naive estimate. This counterintuitive result is due to infrared divergences regularized at high temperature by environmental effects, playing a crucial role in leptogenesis and cosmic magnetogenesis.