Astrophobic Axions

We propose a class of axion models with generation-dependent Peccei-Quinn charges for the known fermions that allow one to suppress the axion couplings to nucleons and electrons. Astrophysical limits are thus relaxed, allowing for axion masses up to O(0.1) eV. The axion-photon coupling remains instead sizable, so that next-generation helioscopes will be able to probe this scenario. Astrophobia unavoidably implies flavor-violating axion couplings so that experimental limits on flavor-violating processes can provide complementary probes. The astrophobic axion can be a viable dark matter candidate in the heavy mass window and can also account for anomalous energy loss in stars.