Texture bestiary: From symmetry-breaking patterns to topological field configurations

Journal Article · Mon Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.50.2806· OSTI ID:7264320

Bryan, J A ^[1]; Carroll, S M ^[2]; Pyne, T ^[3]

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1. Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)
2. Center for Theoretical Physics, Laboratory for Nuclear Science Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
3. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 (United States)

Textures are topologically nontrivial field configurations which can exist in a field theory in which a global symmetry group [ital G] is broken to a subgroup [ital H], if the third homotopy group [pi][sub 3] of [ital G]/[ital H] is nontrivial. We compute this group for a variety of choices of [ital G] and [ital H], revealing what symmetry-breaking patterns can lead to texture. We also comment on the construction of texture configurations in the different models.

• OSTI ID: 7264320
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States) Vol. 50:4; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

662110* -- General Theory of Particles & Fields-- Theory of Fields & Strings-- (1992-)
662120 -- General Theory of Particles & Fields-- Symmetry
Conservation Laws
Currents & Their Properties-- (1992-)
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CONFIGURATION
FIELD THEORIES
MONOPOLES
SYMMETRY BREAKING
TEXTURE
VORTICES