In quantum field theory, charged particles with spin $\geq 1$ may become tachyonic in the present of magnetic fluxes above some critical field, signaling an instability of the vacuum. The phenomenon is generic, in particular, similar instabilities are known to exist in open and closed string theory, where a spinning string state can become tachyonic above a critical field. In compactifications involving RR fluxes $F_{p+2}$, the quantum states which could become tachyonic by the same Nielsen-Olesen mechanism are Dp branes. By constructing an appropriate background with RR magnetic flux that takes into account back-reaction, we identify the possible tachyonic Dp brane states and compute the formula for the energy spectrum in a sector. More generally, we argue that in any background RR magnetic flux, there are high spin Dp quantum states which become very light at critical fields.
In this work, I consider the light-front quantization of a class of Nielsen-Olesen (Bogomol'nyi) models in two-space one-time dimensions in the so-called symmetry phase using the Hamiltonian, path integral and BRST formulations.
Using a representative set of parameters we numerically calculate the low-energy Lagrangian on the world sheet of the Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen string in a model in which it acquires rotational (quasi)moduli. The bulk model is deformed by a spin-orbit interaction generating a number of "entangled" terms on the string world sheet.
We connect the translation modes of the instanton in the two-dimensional Abelian Higgs model with local translations of the vortex of the related model in (3+1) dimensions, the Nielsen-Olesen vortex. In this context these modes describe collective oscillations of the string. We construct the wave function of this mode and we derive, via a virial theorem, an effective action for these oscillations, which is consistent with the action constructed by Nielsen and Olesen using general arguments. We discuss some aspects of renormalization, based on a recent computation of one loop corrections to str…
We construct an exact regular vortex solution to the self-dual equations of the Abelian Higgs model in non-commutative space for arbitrary values of $θ$. To this end, we propose an ansatz which is the analogous, in Fock space, to the one leading to exact solutions for the Nielsen-Olesen vortex in commutative space. We compute the flux and energy of the solution and discuss its relevant properties.
We calculate the vacuum energy of a spinor field in the background of a Nielsen-Olesen vortex. We use the method of representing the vacuum energy in terms of the Jost function on the imaginary momentum axis. Renormalization is carried out using the heat kernel expansion and zeta functional regularization. With this method well convergent sums and integrals emerge which allow for an efficient numerical calculation of the vacuum energy in the given case where the background is not known analytically but only numerically. The vacuum energy is calculated for several choices of the parameters and …
The mass shift induced by one-loop quantum fluctuations on self-dual ANO vortices is computed using heat kernel/generalized zeta function regularization methods. The quantum masses of super-imposed multi-vortices with vorticity lower than five are given. The case of two separate vortices with a quantum of magnetic flux is also discussed.
We construct Nielsen-Olesen vortex solution in the noncommutative abelian Higgs model. We derive the quantized topological flux of the vortex solution. We find that the flux is integral by explicit computation in the large $θ$ limit as well as in the small $θ$ limit. In the context of a tachyon vortex on the brane-antibrane system we demonstrate that it is this topological charge that gives rise to the RR charge of the resulting BPS D-brane. We also consider the left-right-symmetric gauge theory which does not have a commutative limit and construct an exact vortex solution in it.
In this article, we calculate the classical vortex solution of a spontaneously broken gauge theory interacting with gravity in (2+1)-dimension. We also calculate the conditions for the formation of a (2+1)-dimensional black hole due to magnetic vortex (a Nielsen-Olesen vortex). The semiclassical Hawking temperature for this black hole is calculated, where we see that the temperature of a BTZ black hole increases or decreases without changing the size of the horizon if we insert the magnetic vortex fields in the black hole. Finally, the first law of black hole thermodynamics is described for th…
It is shown how to treat the degrees of freedom of Nielsen-Olesen vortices in the $3+1$-dimensional $U(1)$ higgs model by a collective coordinate method. In the london limit, where the higgs mass becomes infinite, the gauge and goldstone degrees of freedom are integrated out, resulting in the vortex world-sheet action. Introducing an ultraviolet cut-off mimics the effect of finite higgs mass. This action is non-polynomial in derivatives and depends on the extrinsic curvature of the surface. Flat surfaces are stable if the coherence length is less than the penetration depth. It is argued that i…
It is generally believed that the spontaneous breaking of the Poincaré group by flux tubes (strings) generate only two zero modes localized on the string and associated with the spontaneous breaking of translational invariance (the so-called Low-Manohar argument). Being perfectly true in many instances it is nevertheless nonuniversal, and have to be amended in the case of order parameters carrying spatial indices. We show that under certain circumstances additional zero (or quasizero) modes can appear due to spin symmetry.
We obtain an effective string theory of the Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen vortices of the Abelian Higgs model. The theory has an anomaly free effective string action which, when the extrinsic curvature is set equal to zero, yields the Nambu-Goto action. This generalizes previous work in which a string representation was obtained in the London limit, where the magnitude of the Higgs field is fixed. Viewed as a model for long distance QCD, it provides a concrete picture of the QCD string as a fluctuating Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen vortex of a dual superconductor on the border between type I and type II…
We consider a generalization of abelian Chern-Simons-Higgs model by introducing a nonstandard kinetic term. In particular we show that the Bogomolnyi equations of the abelian Higgs theory may be obtained, being its solutions Nielsen-Olesen vortices with electric charge. In addition we study the self-duality equations for a generalized non-relativistic Maxwell-Chern-Simons model.
Using analytic and numerical techniques Nielsen-Olesen vortices, which in the context of Ginzburg-Landau theory are known as Abrikosov vortices of type-II superconductors, are studied for large Ginzburg-Landau parameter $λ$. We show that their energy is equal to $(πn^2 /2)\logλ$ to leading order, where $n$ is the winding number of the vortex, and find that the limit of the gauge field can be expressed in terms of the modified Bessel function $K_1$. The leading terms of the asymptotic expansion of the solution are given, and the different contributions to the energy are analyzed.
We consider the one-loop quantum corrections to the Nielsen-Olesen flux tube of finite length $L$, by imposing periodic boundary conditions. The calculations are based on a recent evaluation of these quantum corrections to the string tension of an infinite vortex. The finite length corrections are finite from the outset. If the computation is restricted to the zero modes we obtain the standard Lüscher term $π/3L$ for a closed string. The inclusion of the other fluctuation modes of Higgs and gauge fields, using the numerically computed trace of the Euclidian Green's function, leads to correctio…
We revisit the classical instability of closed strings in the Abelian Higgs model. The instability is expressed by a vanishing energy as the torus-like configuration shrinks to zero size. We treat the radius of the torus as a collective coordinate and demonstrate that a quantum mechanical treatment of this coordinate leads to a stabilization of the closed string at small radii.
We discuss gluon production by the Schwinger mechanism in collinear color-electric and magnetic fields which may be realized in pre-equilibrium stages of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Fluctuations of non-Abelian gauge fields around a purely color-magnetic field contain exponentially growing unstable modes in a longitudinally soft momentum region, which is known as the Nielsen--Olesen instability. With a color-electric field imposed parallelly to the color-magnetic field, we can formulate this instability as the Schwinger mechanism. This is because soft unstable modes are accelerated…
In the large flux limit vortices become flux tubes with almost constant magnetic field in the interior region. This occurs in the case of non-Abelian vortices as well, and the study of such configurations allows us to reveal a close relationship between vortex zero modes and the gyromagnetic instabilities of vector bosons in a strong background magnetic field discovered by Nielsen, Olesen and Ambjørn. The BPS vortices are exactly at the onset of this instability, and the dimension of their moduli space is precisely reproduced in this way. We present a unifying picture in which, through the stu…
We investigate the behaviour of a model with two oppositely charged scalar fields. In the Bogomol'nyi limit this may be seen as the scalar sector of N=1 supersymmetric QED, and it has been shown that cosmic strings form. We examine numerically the model out of the Bogomol'nyi limit, and show that this remains the case. We then add supersymmetry-breaking mass terms to the supersymmetric model, and show that strings still survive. Finally we consider the extension to N=2 supersymmetry with supersymmetry-breaking mass terms, and show that this leads to the formation of stable cosmic strings, unli…
We study properties of Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen (ANO) strings with the Coleman-Weinberg (CW) potential, which we call CW-ANO strings. While the scale-invariant scalar potential has a topologically trivial vacuum admitting no strings at the classical level, quantum correction allows topologically nontrivial vacua and stable string solutions. We find that the system of the CW potential exhibits significant difference from that of the conventional Abelian-Higgs model with the quadratic-quartic potential. While a single-winding string is qualitatively similar in both systems, and the static interv…
Zero modes of strings in the abelian Higgs model are analyzed. In spite of the fact that the gauge symmetry is not broken in the string center, the corresponding zero mode is shown to exist and to see it one has to analyze carefully the dependence on transverse coordinates for the excitations. The analysis of this kind is also important for the Witten model of superconducting string. Unusual properties of the zero modes connected with the broken gauge symmetry in the string background are investigated. One of the modes carries the current quite similar to that in the Witten model and gives bac…
The vortex-boson (or Abelian-Higgs, XY) duality in 2+1 dimensions demonstrates that the quantum disordered superfluid is equivalent to an ordered superconductor and the other way around. Such a duality structure should be ubiquitous but in 3+1 (and higher) dimensions a precise formulation of the duality is lacking. The problem is that the topological defects become extended objects, strings in 3+1D. We argue how the condensate of such vortex strings must behave from the known physics of the disordered superfluid, namely the Bose-Mott insulator. A flaw in earlier proposals is repaired, and a mo…
Using Mueller's dipole formalism for deep inelastic scattering in QCD, we formulate and solve the evolution for the generating function for the multiplicities of the produced particles, in hadronic processes at high energy. The solution for the multiplicities satisfies Koba-Nielsen-Olesen (KNO) scaling, with good agreement with the recently re-analyzed data from the H1 experiment at HERA (DESY), and the old ALEPH data for hadronic $Z$ decay at LEP (CERN). The same scaling function with KNO scaling, carries to the hadronic multiplicities from jets in electron-positron annihilation. This agreeme…
New solutions to the abelian U(1) Higgs model, corresponding to vortices of integer and half-integer winding number bound onto the edges of domain walls and possibly surrounded by annular current flows, are described, based on a fine-grained analysis of the topology of such configurations in spacetime. The existence of these states, which saturate BPS bounds in specific limits and are quite reminiscent of D-branes and membranes in general, could have interesting and some important consequences in a wide range of physical contexts. For instance, they raise the possibility that for some regimes …
We modify the standard Abelian-Higgs model by introducing spatially-dependent couplings for the scalar and vector fields. We investigate static, non-cylindrically symmetric solutions of the resulting field equations and propose a pinch solution which interpolates between degenerate vacua along the string, labelled by $\pm |n|$. This configuration corresponds to a vortex which shrinks to Planck scale before re-emerging as an anti-vortex, resulting in the formation of a bead pair with one bead at either side of the intersection. The solution is then topologically stable. A key assumption is that…
We find evidence for the existence of solutions of the Einstein and Abelian Higgs field equations describing a black hole pierced by a Nielsen-Olesen vortex. This situation falls outside the scope of the usual no-hair arguments due to the non-trivial topology of the vortex configuration and the special properties of its energy-momentum tensor. By a combination of numerical and perturbative techniques we conclude that the black hole horizon has no difficulty in supporting the long range fields of the Nielsen Olesen string. Moreover, the effect of the vortex can in principle be measured from inf…
We show that a closed Nielsen-Olesen string in presence of a point scalar source exhibits the phenomenon of Fermi-Bose transmutation. This provides physical support to previous claims about transmutation between bosonic and fermionic one-dimensional structures in (3+1) dimensions. In order to render the computations mathematically rigorous we have resorted to an Euclidean lattice regularization.
We study static cosmic string solutions in the context of Bekenstein-type models. We show that there is a class of models of this type for which the classical Nielsen-Olesen vortex is still a valid solution. However, in general static string solutions in Bekenstein-type models strongly depart from the standard Nielsen-Olesen solution with the electromagnetic energy concentrated along the string core seeding spatial variations of the fine structure constant, $α$. We consider models with a generic gauge kinetic function and show that equivalence principle constraints impose tight limits on the a…
Within the non-Abelian SU(2) Proca-Higgs theory, we study localised axially symmetric solutions possessing a finite field energy. It is shown that in a certain sense such solutions are analogues of the Nielsen-Olesen tube, since they have a longitudinal magnetic field creating a flux of this field over the central cross-section of the Proca tube. The main difference between the Proca tube and the Nielsen-Olesen tube is that the Proca tube is described by a topologically trivial solution and has finite size, since its energy density decreases exponentially with distance. The dependence of the t…
P-term potentials can give rise to Nielsen-Olesen or semi-local cosmic strings. We present a general analysis of these cosmic strings where we derive the Bogomol'nyi equations and field profiles for both types of string and discuss their stability. We give an analysis of the fermionic zero modes that could live on the strings and a brief discussion of the inflationary period preceding their formation.
We classify the spectrum, family structure and stability of Nielsen-Olesen vortices embedded in a larger gauge group when the vacuum manifold is related to a symmetric space.
We study the fate of U(1) strings embedded in a non-Abelian gauge theory with a hierarchical pattern of the symmetry breaking: G->U(1) at V->nothing at v, V>>v. While in the low-energy limit the Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen string (flux tube) is perfectly stable, being considered in the full theory it is metastable. We consider the simplest example: the magnetic flux tubes in the SU(2) gauge theory with adjoint and fundamental scalars. First, the adjoint scalar develops a vacuum expectation value V breaking SU(2) down to U(1). Then, at a much lower scale, the fundamental scalar (quark) develops a …
The modification of classical dynamics of abelian confining theory by virtue of quantum Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen strings is discussed taking D=4 abelian Higgs model as an example. The form of string corrections to the Wilson loop correlators, gauge boson propagator, effective potential is presented and possible relations to abelian projected QCD are outlined.
Motivated by the instability of the Savvidy-Nielsen-Olesen vacuum we make a systematic search for a stable magnetic background in pure SU(2) QCD. It is shown that a pair of axially symmetric monopole and antimonopole strings is stable, provided that the distance between the two strings is less than a critical value. The existence of a stable monopole-antimonopole string background strongly supports that a magnetic condensation of monopole-antimonopole pairs can generate a dynamical symmetry breaking, and thus the magnetic confinement of color in QCD.
In a model that supports both Abelian (Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen) and non-Abelian strings we analyze the parameter space to find examples in which these strings not only coexist but are degenerate in tension. We prove that both solutions are locally stable, i.e there are no negative modes in the string background. The tension degeneracy is achieved at the classical level and is expected to be lifted by quantum corrections. The set up of the model, analogous to that of Witten's superconducting cosmic strings, had been extended to include non-Abelian strings.
Motivated by the instability of the Savvidy-Nielsen-Olesen (SNO) vacuum we make a systematic search for a stable magnetic background in pure SU(2) QCD. It is shown that Wu-Yang monopole-antimonopole pair is unstable under vacuum fluctuations. However, it is shown that a pair of axially symmetric monopole-antimonopole string configuration is stable, provided the distance between the two strings is small enough (less than a critical value). The existence of a stable monopole-antimonopole string background strongly supports that a magnetic condensation of monopole-antimonopole pairs can indeed ge…
It is argued that the phenomenon of a flux tube in quantum chromodynamics is closely connected with a spontaneously symmetry breakdown of gauge theory. It is shown that in the presence of a mass term in the SU(2) gauge theory the Nielsen-Olesen equations describe the flux tube surrounded by an external field.
In the present work we show that it is possible to arrive at a Ginzburg-Landau (GL) like equation from pure SU(2) gauge theory. This has a connection to the dual superconducting model for color confinement where color flux tubes permanently bind quarks into color neutral states. The GL Lagrangian with a spontaneous symmetry breaking potential, has such (Nielsen-Olesen) flux tube solutions. The spontaneous symmetry breaking requires a tachyonic mass for the effective scalar field. Such a tachyonic mass term is obtained from the condensation of ghost fields.
The Nielsen - Olesen flux tube in the SU(2) Yang - Mills - Higgs theory dressed with the color electric $E^a_{ρ,ϕ}$ and magnetic $H^a_{ρ,ϕ}$ fields is derived. On the next step it is argued that this flux tube can be considered as a result of the nonperturbatuve analytical calculations in the SU(3) quantum theory.
We study the Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen multi-vortices. Using a numerical code we are able to solve the vortex equations with winding number up to n=25,000. We can thus check the wall vortex conjecture previously made in hep-th/0507273 and hep-th/0507286. The numerical results show a remarkable agreement with the theoretical predictions.
We show that self-dual Nielsen Olesen (NO) vortices in $3$ dimensions give rise to a class of exact solutions when coupled to Einstein Maxwell Dilaton gravity obeying the Majumdar-Papapetrou(MP) relation between gravitational and Maxwell couplings , provided certain Chern-Simons type interactions are present. The metric may be solved for explicitly in terms of the NO vortex function and is asymptotic to Euclidean space with signature (-1,-1,-1). The MP electric field is long range but, strictly speaking, the charge of the vortices is zero since the field dies off as $O(1/r (ln r)^2)$. The tota…
We calculate the pair production rates for spin-$1$ or vector particles on spaces of the form $M \times {\mathbb R}^{1,1}$ with $M$ corresponding to ${\mathbb R}^2$ (flat), $S^2$ (positive curvature) and $H^2$ (negative curvature), with and without a background (chromo)magnetic field on $M$. Beyond highlighting the effects of curvature and background magnetic field, this is particularly interesting since vector particles are known to suffer from the Nielsen-Olesen instability, which can dramatically increase pair production rates. The form of this instability for $S^2$ and $H^2$ is obtained. W…
The Landau problem for inhomogeneous magnetic fields is examined in a very general context and several interesting analogies with the Nielsen-Olesen vortices are established. Firstly we show that the Landau problem with non-homogeneous magnetic fields exhibits Meissner effect that is unstable unless two-body interactions are added and vortices emerge. Using the scaling freedom we can write the Schrödinger equation in terms of the scales ratio $κ={ E}/{ m }\propto 1- T/T_c $ where the last identification is realised simply by using the Gizburg-Landau theory. We find our equations are valid in t…
We study cosmic Nielsen-Olesen strings in space-times with a positive cosmological constant. For the free cosmic string in a cylindrically symmetric space-time, we calculate the contribution of the cosmological constant to the angle deficit, and to the bending of null geodesics. For a cosmic string in a Schwarzschild-de Sitter space-time, we use Kruskal patches around the inner and outer horizons to show that a thin string can pierce them.
Six-dimensional Nielsen-Olesen vortices are analyzed in the context of a quadratic gravity theory containing Euler-Gauss-Bonnet self-interactions. The relations among the string tensions can be tuned in such a way that the obtained solutions lead to warped compactification on the vortex. New regular solutions are possible in comparison with the case where the gravity action only consists of the Einstein-Hilbert term. The parameter space of the model is discussed
A topological defect in the form of the Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen vortex is considered as a gauge-flux-carrying tube that is impenetrable for quantum matter. Charged scalar matter field is quantized in the vortex background with the perfectly reflecting (Dirichlet) boundary condition imposed at the side surface of the vortex. We show that a current circulating around the vortex and a magnetic field directed along the vortex are induced in the vacuum, if the Compton wavelength of the matter field exceeds considerably the transverse size of the vortex. The vacuum current and magnetic field are pe…
We study the problem of vortex solutions in the background of rotating black holes in both asymptotically flat and asymptoticlly anti de Sitter spacetimes. We demonstrate the Abelian Higgs field equations in the background of four dimensional Kerr, Kerr-AdS and Reissner-Nordstrom-AdS black holes have vortex line solutions. These solutions, which have axial symmetry, are generalization of the Nielsen-Olesen string. By numerically solving the field equations in each case, we find that these black holes can support an Abelian Higgs field as hair. This situation holds even in the extremal case, an…
A topological defect in the form of the Abrikosov-Nielsen-Olesen vortex is considered as a gauge-flux-carrying tube that is impenetrable for quantum matter. The relativistic spinor matter field is quantized in the vortex background in $2+1$-dimensional conical space-time which is a section orthogonal to the vortex axis; the most general set of boundary conditions ensuring the impenetrability of the vortex core is employed. We find the induced vacuum current circulating around the vortex and the induced vacuum magnetic field strength pointing along the vortex axis. The requirement of finiteness…
