Gauge strata and particle generations
  Phenomenological evidence suggests the existence of non-trivial background fields in the QCD vacuum. On the other hand SU(3) gauge theory possessses three different classes of both non-generic and non-trivial strata that may be used as classical backgrounds. It is suggested that this three-fold multiplicity of non-trivial vacua may be related to the existence of particle generations, which would then find an explanation in the framework of the standard model. 
R. Vilela Mendes (Grupo de Fisica Matematica, UL, Lisboa)