# References

ON THE QUESTION OF DEGENERACY OF TOPOLOGICAL SOLITONS IN A GAUGED O(3) NON-LINEAR SIGMA MODEL WITH CHERN-SIMONS TERM   
P.Mukherjee<sup>1</sup><sup>1</sup>1e-mail:pradip@boson.bose.res.in   
Department of Physics

A.B.N.Seal College,Coochbehar

West Bengal,India

## Abstract

We show that the degeneracy of topological solitons in the gauged O(3) non-linear sigma model with Chern-Simons term may be removed by chosing a self-interaction potential with symmetry - breaking minima. The topological solitons in the model has energy,charge,flux and angular momentum quantised in each topological sector.

The 2+1 dimensional O(3) nonlinear sigma model has been studied extensively over a long period of time due to its own interest of providing topologically stable soliton solutions which are exactly integrable in the Bogomol’nyi limit  and also for its applications in condensed matter physics .Soliton solutions of the model modified by the addition of Hopf term characterising maps from $`S^3`$ to $`S^2`$ reveal the occurence of fractional spin and statistics . The system can be cast in the form of a genuine gauge theory by the inclusion of the Chern - Simons (C-S) term which implements fractional spin and statistics in the context of local field theories .A gauge-independent analysis  of the O(3) sigma model with C-S term  shows conclusively that this fractional spin is a physical effect and not an artifact of the gauge.The fractional spin of the topologically stable solitons of the model were shown to scale as the square of the vortex number .It is also established that this property is not specific of the particular model \[8-11\] and rather shared by the Chern-Simons vortices in general .

A characteristic feature of the soliton solutions of the O(3) sigma model in (2+1) dimensions is its scale \- invariance which prevents particle interpretation on quantisation . An interesting method of breaking this scale-invariance is to gauge the U(1) subgroup as well as including a potential term .Recently it has been shown that gauging the U(1) subgroup by Chern - Simons term with a particlar potential gives rise to both topological and nontopological solitons. However the topological solitons are infinitely degenerate in a given topo- logical sector with quantised energy but degenerate charge , flux and angular momentum .This is certainly very characteristic outcome in the light of the findings detailed above about the Chern - Simons vortices.

The potential used in  has two discrete minima $`\varphi _3=\pm 1`$ and the U(1) symmetry is not spontaneously broken.The topologically stable soliton solutions of the model are classified according to the homotopy $`\mathrm{\Pi }_2(S_2)=Z`$ just as the model without the gauge field coupling.The observed infinite degeneracy in each topological sector is thus physically undesirable .In the present letter we will show that inclusion of a different form of self-interaction with symmetry breaking minima leads to topologically stable soliton solutions which have all the desired features with quantised energy,charge,flux and angular momentum in each topological sector.

The Lagrangian of our model is given by

$$=\frac{1}{2}D_\mu \varphi D^\mu \varphi +\frac{k}{4}ϵ^{\mu \nu \lambda }A_\mu _\nu A_\lambda +U(\varphi )$$
(1)   
Here $`\varphi `$ is a triplet of scalar fields constituting a vector in the internal space with unit norm

$`\varphi _a=𝐧_𝐚\varphi ,(a=1,2,3)`$ (2)   
$`\varphi \varphi =\varphi _a\varphi _a=1`$ (3)   
where $`𝐧_a`$ constitute a basis of unit orthogonal vectors in the internal space. We work in the Minkowskian space - time with the metric tensor diagonal, $`g_{\mu \nu }=(1,1,1)`$.

$`D_\mu \varphi `$ is the covariant derivative given by

$$D_\mu \varphi =_\mu \varphi +A_\mu 𝐧_3\times \varphi $$
(4)   
The SO(2) (U(1)) subgroup is gauged by the vector potential $`A_\mu `$ whose dynamics is dictated by the CS term.The potential

$$U(\varphi )=\frac{1}{2k^2}\varphi _3^2(1\varphi _3^2)$$
(5)   
gives a self interaction of the fields $`\varphi _a`$.Note that the minima of the potential arise when either,

$`\varphi _1=`$ $`\varphi _2=0and\varphi _3=\pm 1`$ (6)   
$`or,\varphi _3=`$ $`0and\varphi _1^2+\varphi _2^2=1`$ (7)   
In (6) the U(1) symmetry is unbroken whereas (7) corresponds to the spontaneous breaking of the same.For obvious reasons we will refer to (6) as the symmetric minima and (7) as the symmetry breaking minima.

The Euler - Lagrange equations of the system (1) is derived subject to the constraint (3) by the Lagrange multiplier technique

$`D_\nu (D^\nu \varphi )`$ $`=`$ $`[D_\nu (D^\nu \varphi )\varphi ]\varphi {\displaystyle \frac{1}{k^2}}𝐧_3\varphi _3(12\varphi _3^2)+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{k^2}}\varphi _3^2(12\varphi _3^2)\varphi `$ (8)   
$`{\displaystyle \frac{k}{2}}ϵ^{\mu \nu \lambda }F_{\nu \lambda }`$ $`=`$ $`j^\mu `$ (9)   
where

$$j^\mu =𝐧_3𝐉^\mu and𝐉^\mu =\varphi \times D^\mu \varphi $$
(10)   
Using (8) we get

$$D_\mu 𝐉^\mu =\frac{1}{k^2}(𝐧_3\times \varphi )\varphi _3(12\varphi _3^2)$$
(11)   
From (9) we find

$$j^0=kϵ_{ij}^iA^j=kB$$
(12)   
where B = curlA is the magnetic field. Integrating (12) over the entire space we obtain

$$\mathrm{\Phi }=\frac{Q}{k}$$
(13)   
where Q is the charge and $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is the magnetic flux.The relation (13) is characteristic of the CS theories.

The energy functional is now obtained from Schwinger’s energy - momentum tensor  which in the static limit becomes

$$E=\frac{1}{2}d^2x[(D_i\varphi )(D_i\varphi )+\frac{k^2B^2}{1\varphi _3^2}+\frac{1}{k^2}\varphi _3^2(1\varphi _3^2)]$$
(14)   
We have eliminated $`A_0`$ using (10) and (12).The energy functional (14) is subject to the constraint (3). We can construct a conserved current

$$K_\mu =\frac{1}{8\pi }ϵ_{\mu \nu \lambda }[\varphi D^\nu \varphi \times D^\lambda \varphi F^{\nu \lambda }\varphi _3]$$
(15)   
By a straightforward calculation it can be shown that

$$_\mu K^\mu =0$$
(16)   
The corresponding conserved charge is

$$T=d^2xK_0$$
(17)   
Using (15) and (17) we can write

$$T=d^2x[\frac{1}{8\pi }ϵ_{ij}\varphi (^i\varphi \times ^j\varphi )]+\frac{1}{4\pi }_{boundary}\varphi _3A_\theta r𝑑\theta $$
(18)   
where r,$`\theta `$ are polar coordinates in the physical space and $`A_\theta =𝐞_\theta 𝐀`$.

Let us now consider the symmetric minima (6).For finite value of the energy functional (14) we require the fields at the spatial infinity to be equal to either $`\varphi _3=1or1`$.The physical infinity is thus one point compactified to either the north or the south pole of the internal sphere.The static field configurations are thus classified according to the degree of the mapping from $`S_2`$ to $`S_2`$.Note that the first term of (18) gives the winding number of the mapping .But $`\varphi _3\pm 1`$ on the boundary.As a result the value of the topological charge is not quantised.So the static finite energy solutions corresponding to the symmetric minima are nontopological.Unlike  topological solitons are not obtained in this limit.These observations may be compared with earlier findings about the Chern - Simons solitons .

The situation changes dramatically when we consider the symmetry breaking minima (7).Here the physical vaccua bear representation of the U(1) symmetry.

$$\psi e^{in\theta }$$
(19)   
where $`\psi =\varphi _1+i\varphi _2`$ and n gives the number of times the infinite circle of the physical space circuitting around the equatorial circle of the internal sphere.The topological solitons of the model are now classified according to this winding number.When the equatorial circle is traversed once the physical space is mapped on a hemisphere of the internal sphere.In general the topological charge (18) will be quantised by

$$T=\frac{n}{2}$$
(20)   
allowing half integral values of T.

Using the definition of $`\varphi `$ we can write

$$D_i\varphi D_i\varphi =|(_i+iA_i)\psi |^2+(_i\varphi _3)^2$$
(21)   
From (14) and (21) we observe that for finite energy configurations we require the covariant derivative $`(_i+iA_i)\psi `$ to vanish at the physical boundary.Using (19) we then get on the boundary

$$𝐀=𝐞_\theta \frac{n}{r}$$
(22)   
It is really interesting to observe that the asymptotic form (22) is sufficient to find the magnetic flux $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$,charge Q and spin S. Thus the magnetic flux

$$\mathrm{\Phi }=Bd^2x=_{boundary}A_\theta r𝑑\theta =2\pi n$$
(23)   
and spin 

$$S=\frac{k}{2}_{boundary}^i[x_iA^2A_ix_jA^j]d^2x=\pi kn^2$$
(24)   
Using (13) and (23) we then find

$$Q=2\pi kn$$
(25)   
Equations (23) to (25) show that the soliton solutions corresponding to the symmetry breaking vaccua have charge,flux and angular momentum quantised in each topological sector.

We then turn to show that the model satisfies Bogomol’nyi conditions. Rearrenging (14) we can write 

$$E=\frac{1}{2}d^2x[\frac{1}{2}(D_i\varphi \pm ϵ_{ij}\varphi \times D_j\varphi )^2+\frac{k^2}{1\varphi _3^2}(F_{12}\pm \frac{1}{k^2}\varphi _3(1\varphi _3^2))^2]\pm 4\pi T$$
(26)   
Equation (26) gives the Bogomol’nyi conditions

$`D_i\varphi \pm ϵ_{ij}\varphi \times D_j\varphi =0`$ (27)   
$`F_{12}\pm {\displaystyle \frac{1}{k^2}}\varphi _3(1\varphi _3^2)=0`$ (28)   
which minimises the energy functional in a particular topological sector, the upper sign corresponds to +ve and the lower sign corresponds to -ve value of the topological charge.The equations can be handled in the usual method to show that the scale invariance is removed by the artifice of the gauge-field coupling.

We will now show the consistency of (27) and (28) using the well-known Ansatz

$`\varphi _1(r,\theta )=\mathrm{sin}F(r)\mathrm{cos}n\theta `$   
$`\varphi _2(r,\theta )=\mathrm{sin}F(r)\mathrm{sin}n\theta `$   
$`\varphi _3(r,\theta )=\mathrm{cos}F(r)`$   
$`𝐀(r,\theta )=𝐞_\theta {\displaystyle \frac{na(r)}{r}}`$ (29)   
From (7) we observe that we require the boundary condition

$$F(r)\pm \frac{\pi }{2}asr\mathrm{}$$
(30)   
and equation (22) dictates that

$$a(r)1asr\mathrm{}$$
(31)   
Remember that equation (22) was obtained so as the solutions have finite energy. Again ,for the fields to be well defined at the origin we require

$$F(r)0or\pi anda(r)0asr0$$
(32)   
Substituting the Ansatz(29) into (27) and (28) we find that

$`F^{}(r)=\pm {\displaystyle \frac{n(a+1)}{r}}\mathrm{sin}F`$ (33)   
$`a^{}(r)={\displaystyle \frac{r}{nk^2}}\mathrm{sin}^2F\mathrm{cos}F`$ (34)   
where the upper sign holds for +ve T and the lower sign corresponds to -ve T.Equations (33) and (34) are not exactly integrable.They may be solved numerically subject to the appropriate boundary conditions to get the exact profiles.

Using the Ansatz (29) we can explicitly compute the topological charge T by performing the integration in (18).The result is

$$T=\frac{n}{2}[cosf(\mathrm{})cosf(0)]$$
(35)   
So we find that according to (30) and (32) T =$`\pm \frac{n}{2}`$ which is in agreement with our observation (20).Note that f(0) corresponds to +ve T and f(0) = $`\pi `$ corresponds to -ve T. If we take +ve T we find F(r) bounded between 0 and $`\frac{\pi }{2}`$ is consistent with (30),(32) and (33).Again a(r) bounded between 0 and -1 is consistent with (31),(32) and (34).Thus for +ve topological charge the ansatz (29) with the following boundary conditions

$`F(0)=0a(0)=0`$   
$`F(\mathrm{})={\displaystyle \frac{\pi }{2}}a(\mathrm{})=1`$ (36)   
is consistent with the Bogomol’nyi conditions. Similarly the consistency may be verified for -ve T.

To conclude,we find that gauging the U(1) subgroup of the nonlinear O(3) sigma model along with the inclusion of a self-interaction potential with degenerate minima where the U(1) symmetry is spontaneously broken provides topologically stable soliton solutions which have the desirable feature of the removal of scale invariance with quantised energy,charge,flux and angular momentum pertaining to each topological sector in contrast to  where such solutions are infinitely degenerate.This breaking of the degeneracy is ascribed to the topology of the minima of the potential considered in our model.We have demonstrated that the theory satisfies Bogomol’nyi conditions and discussed the consistency of the solutions.Detailed calculations of the profiles are pending with other related issues.We propose to take up these works subsequently.

I like to thank Dr.R.Banerjee for helpful discussions and Dr.S.Roy for his encouragements.I also thank Professor C.K.Majumdar,Director S.N. Bose National centre for Basic Sciences for allowing me to use some of his institute facilities.Finally my earnest thanks are due to the referee for his comments which largely enabled me to put the work in proper perspectives.