Z/sub N/ topology and charge confinement in SU(N) Higgs models

Journal Article · Mon Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · Phys. Rev. D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.23.3036· OSTI ID:6331820

Ezawa, Z F; Iwazaki, A

We analyze topological effects in frozen SU(N) Higgs models in continuous space-time, where topological excitations are Z/sub N/ vortices together with associated Z/sub N/ monopoles. The space dimension is either two or three. We show that vortex condensation generates magnetic gauge symmetry and that monopole condensation leads to a spontaneous breakdown of this symmetry. By summing up all possible excitation modes of Z/sub N/ vortices and Z/sub N/ monopoles, we derive an effective Lagrangian in the strong-coupling regime. We obtain the following conclusions: (i) if external charges are introduced in the fundamental representation, they are confined by electric vortex strings, and (ii) if external charges are introduced in the adjoint representation, they are screened completely.

• Research Organization: Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980, Japan
• OSTI ID: 6331820
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D; (United States) Vol. 23:12; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645400* -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FUNCTIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
HIGGS MODEL
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
LIE GROUPS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETIC MONOPOLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
MONOPOLES
PARTICLE MODELS
POSTULATED PARTICLES
SPACE-TIME
SU GROUPS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
SYMMETRY GROUPS
TOPOLOGY