Fifth forces from QCD axions scale differently

Abstract: We reexamine the low-energy potential for a macroscopic fifth force generated from the exchange of two axions. The shift-symmetry of the linear axion interactions leads to a potential falling off as $V(r) \sim 1/r^5$. We find that in the case of the QCD axion higher-order terms in the Lagrangian break the shift symmetry and lead to the dominant contribution to the potential scaling as $V(r) \sim 1/r^3$. These terms are generated by the same physics responsible for the axion mass and therefore the new contributions to the potential induce a different force for external nucleons and leptons. We demonstrate how this result affects the sensitivity of searches for new long-range forces.