Topologically induced local PandCP violation in QCD x QED

Journal Article · Thu Jan 14 23:00:00 EST 2010 · Annals of Physics (New York)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2009.11.002· OSTI ID:21336085

Kharzeev, Dmitri E ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973-5000 (United States)

The existence of topological solutions and axial anomaly open a possibility of PandCP violation in QCD. For a reason that has not yet been established conclusively, this possibility is not realized in strong interactions - the experimental data indicate that a global PandCP violation in QCD is absent. Nevertheless, the fluctuations of topological charge in QCD vacuum, although not observable directly, are expected to play an important role in the breaking of U{sub A}(1) symmetry and in the mass spectrum and other properties of hadrons. Moreover, in the presence of very intense external electromagnetic fields topological solutions of QCD can induce localP-andCP-odd effects in the SU{sub c}(3)xU{sub em}(1) gauge theory that can be observed in experiment directly. Here I show how these local parity-violating phenomena can be described by using the Maxwell-Chern-Simons, or axion, electrodynamics as an effective theory. Local P-andCP-violation in hot QCD matter can be observed in experiment through the 'chiral magnetic effect' - the separation of electric charge along the axis of magnetic field. Very recently, STAR Collaboration presented an observation of the electric charge asymmetry with respect to reaction plane in relativistic heavy ion collisions at RHIC.

• OSTI ID: 21336085
• Journal Information: Annals of Physics (New York), Journal Name: Annals of Physics (New York) Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 325; ISSN 0003-4916; ISSN APNYA6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ASYMMETRY
CHIRALITY
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
HEAVY ION REACTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASS SPECTRA
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
PARITY
QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
STRONG INTERACTIONS
SU-3 GROUPS
SYMMETRY
TOPOLOGY