Shapes of magnetic monopoles in effective SU(2) models

AbstraktAbstract

We present a systematic exploration of a general family of effective SU(2) models with an adjoint scalar. First, we discuss a redundancy in this class of models and use it to identify seemingly different, yet physically equivalent models. Next, we construct the Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield limit and derive analytic monopole solutions. In contrast to the 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole, included here as a special case, these solutions tend to exhibit more complex energy density profiles. Typically, we obtain monopoles with a hollow cavity at their core where virtually no energy is concentrated; accordingly, most of the monopole's energy is stored in a spherical shell around its core. Moreover, the shell itself can be structured, with several "subshells". A recipe for the construction of these analytic solutions is presented.

We present a systematic exploration of a general family of effective SU(2) models with an adjoint scalar. First, we discuss a redundancy in this class of models and use it to identify seemingly different, yet physically equivalent models. Next, we construct the Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield limit and derive analytic monopole solutions. In contrast to the 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole, included here as a special case, these solutions tend to exhibit more complex energy density profiles. Typically, we obtain monopoles with a hollow cavity at their core where virtually no energy is concentrated; accordingly, most of the monopole's energy is stored in a spherical shell around its core. Moreover, the shell itself can be structured, with several "subshells". A recipe for the construction of these analytic solutions is presented.