  Unmagnetized cold plasma modes are investigated in the context of the chiral
Maxwell-Carroll-Field-Jackiw (MCJF) electrodynamics, where the axion chiral
factor acts retrieving some typical properties of magnetized plasmas. The
Maxwell equations are rewritten for a cold, uniform, and collisionless fluid
plasma model, allowing us to determine the dispersion relation, new refractive
indices and propagating modes. We find four distinct refractive indices
modified by the purely timelike CFJ background that plays the magnetic
conductivity chiral parameter role, associated with right-circularly polarized
[RCP] and left-circularly polarized [LCP] waves. For each refractive index, the
propagation and absorption zones are determined and illustrated for some
specific parameter values. Modified RCP and LCP helicons are found in the
low-frequency regime. The optical behavior is investigated, revealing that the
chiral factor induces birefringence, measured in terms of the rotatory power
(RP). The dichroism coefficient is carried out for the absorbing zones. The
negative refraction zones may enhance the involved rotatory power, yielding RP
sign reversion, a feature of rotating plasmas and MCFJ chiral plasmas.
