Axionic Defect Anomalies and Their Cancellation

We present a simple derivation of the Callan-Harvey-Naculich effect, i.e. the compensation of charge violation on axion strings due to gauge anomalies by accretion of charge onto the string from the surrounding space. We then show, in the case of axion fields without a potential, that an alternative explanation is possible in which no reference to the surrounding space is necessary because the anomalies are cancelled by a version of the Green-Schwarz mechanism. We prove that such an alternative explanation is always possible in the more general context of p-brane defects in d-dimensional field theories, and hence that there always exists an anomaly-free effective world-volume action whenever the spacetime theory is anomaly free. Our results have implications, which we discuss, for heterotic and type II fivebranes.