Spontaneous magnetogenesis at the electroweak phase transition

Abstract

Spontaneous CP violation during the electroweak phase transition can induce a twisting of the magnetic field configuration of Standard Model dumbbells, resulting in sizable intergalactic magnetic fields and a small baryon asymmetry, in agreement with observations. We demonstrate this by coupling the electroweak gauge group of the Standard Model to an axion-like particle with a non-vanishing velocity. Studying the resulting monopole, string and dumbbell configurations, we conclude that the helicity fraction of the magnetic fields generated at the electroweak phase transition is roughly given by the dimensionless axion velocity.