  We study the interaction between axions and nuclei by combining the
Peccei-Quinn mechanism with results from quantum chromo-dynamics (QCD) which
imply that the QCD condensates are reduced within nuclear matter. Thus, the
effective axion mass is also reduced, yielding a finite axion-nucleon
scattering cross section. Even in the absence of real axions, this interaction
would manifest itself in a Casimir type attraction between two nuclei. Finally,
accelerated nuclei can create entangled pairs of axions via the dynamical
Casimir effect (or as signatures of the Unruh effect).
