The dynamics of both global and local vortices with non-Abelian orientational moduli is investigated in detail. Head-on collisions of these vortices are numerically simulated for parallel, anti-parallel and orthogonal internal orientations where we find interesting dynamics of the orientational moduli. A detailed study of the inter-vortex force is provided and a phase diagram separating Abelian and non-Abelian vortex types is constructed. Some results on scatterings with non-zero impact parameter and multi-vortex collisions are included.
Domain walls with non-Abelian orientational moduli are constructed in U(N) gauge theories coupled to Higgs scalar fields with degenerate masses. The associated global symmetry is broken by the domain walls, resulting in the Nambu-Goldstone (and quasi-Nambu-Goldstone) bosons, which form the non-Abelian orientational moduli. As walls separate, the wave functions of the non-Abelian orientational moduli spread between domain walls. By taking the limit of Higgs mass differences to vanish, we clarify the convertion of wall position moduli into the non-Abelian orientational moduli. The moduli space m…
After briefly reviewing the problems associated with non-Abelian monopoles, we turn our attention to the development in our understanding of non-Abelian {\it vortices} in the last several years. In the U(N) model with $N_{f}=N$ flavors in which they were first found, the fluctuations of the orientational modes along the vortex length and in time become strongly coupled at long distances. They effectively reduce to Abelian ANO vortices. We discuss then a very recent work on non-Abelian vortices with $CP^{n-1}\times CP^{r-1}$ orientational moduli, which, unlike the ones so far extensively studie…
We analyze the mechanism of condensation of orientational moduli (as introduced in [25]) on multi-Skyrmionic configurations of the four-dimensional Skyrme model. The present analysis reveals interesting novel features. First of all, the orientational moduli tend to decrease the repulsive interactions between Skyrmions, the effect decreasing with the increase of the Baryon number. Moreover, in the case of a single Skyrmion, the appearance of moduli is energetically favorable if finite volume effects are present. Otherwise, in the usual flat topologically trivial case, it is not. In the low ener…
Non-Abelian vortices for a supersymmetric {\cal N}=2 Chern-Simons-Higgs theory are explicitly constructed. We introduce N Higgs fields in the fundamental representation of the U(N) gauge group in order to have a color-flavor SU(N) group remaining unbroken in the asymmetric phase. Bogomol'nyi-like first order equations are found and rotationally symmetric solutions are proposed. These solutions are shown to be truly non-Abelian by parameterizing them in terms of orientational collective coordinates. The low energy effective action for the orientational moduli results to be the one-dimensional s…
We study the moduli spaces of k U(N) vortices which are realized by the Higgs branch of a U(k) supersymmetric gauge theory. The theory has 4 supercharges and lives on k D1-branes in a N D3- and NS5-brane background. We realize the vortex moduli space as a C* projection of the vortex master space. The Hilbert series is calculated in order to characterize the algebraic structure of the vortex master space and to identify the precise C* projection. As a result, we are able to fully classify the moduli spaces up to 3 vortices.
Exact metrics on some totally geodesic submanifolds of the moduli space of static hyperbolic N-vortices are derived. These submanifolds, denoted Σ_{n,m}, are spaces of C_n-invariant vortex configurations with n single vortices at the vertices of a regular polygon and m=N-n coincident vortices at the polygon's centre. The geometric properties of Σ_{n,m} are investigated, and it is found that Σ_{n,n-1} is isometric to the hyperbolic plane of curvature -1/(3πn). Geodesic flow on Σ_{n,m}, and a geometrically natural variant of geodesic flow recently proposed by Collie and Tong, are analyzed in det…
The purpose of this paper is to describe a relationship between the moduli space of vortices and the moduli space of instantons. We study charge k vortices in U(N) Yang-Mills-Higgs theories and show that the moduli space is isomorphic to a special Lagrangian submanifold of the moduli space of k instantons in non-commutative U(N) Yang-Mills theories. This submanifold is the fixed point set of a U(1) action on the instanton moduli space which rotates the instantons in a plane. To derive this relationship, we present a D-brane construction in which the dynamics of vortices is described by the Hig…
We perform a numerical study of the phase diagram of the model proposed in \cite{Shifman:2012vv}, which is a simple model containing non-Abelian vortices. As per the case of Abrikosov vortices, we map out a region of parameter space in which the system prefers the formation of vortices in ordered lattice structures. These are generalizations of Abrikosov vortex lattices with extra orientational moduli in the vortex cores. At sufficiently large lattice spacing the low energy theory is described by a sum of $CP(1)$ theories, each located on a vortex site. As the lattice spacing becomes smaller, …
The abelian Higgs model on the noncommutative plane admits both BPS vortices and non-BPS fluxons. After reviewing the properties of these solitons, we discuss several new aspects of the former. We solve the Bogomoln'yi equations perturbatively, to all orders in the inverse noncommutivity parameter, and show that the metric on the moduli space of k vortices reduces to the computation of the trace of a k-dimensional matrix. In the limit of large noncommutivity, we present an explicit expression for this metric.
We find, by an appropriate extension of the standard holographic superconductor setup, static bulk solutions which describe holographic duals to non-Abelian vortices. In the core of these vortices a scalar field condenses, breaking a non-Abelian global symmetry which leads to additional zero modes called orientational moduli. These moduli appear in the bulk as Goldstone bosons associated to the condensation of a neutral scalar field.
Remarkable simplification arises from considering vortex equations in the large winding limit. This was recently used in [1] to display all sorts of vortex zeromodes, the orientational, translational, fermionic as well as semi-local, and to relate them to the apparently distinct phenomena of the Nielsen-Olesen-Ambjorn magnetic instabilities. Here we extend these analyses to more general types of BPS nonAbelian vortices, taking as a prototype a system with gauged U(1) x SU(N) x SU(N) symmetry where the VEV of charged scalar fields in the bifundamental representation breaks the symmetry to SU(N)…
We extend the Georgi-Glashow model of the t'Hooft-Polyakov monopoles to include additional collective coordinates "orientational isospin moduli". The low-energy theory of these solitonic solutions can be interpreted as dyons with isospin.
We describe the BPS dynamics of vortices in the presence of impurities. We argue that a moduli space of solitons survives the addition of both electric and magnetic impurities. However, dynamics on the moduli space is altered. In the case of electric impurities, the metric remains unchanged but the dynamics is accompanied by a connection term, acting as an effective magnetic field over the moduli space. We give an expression for this connection and compute the vortex-impurity bound states in simple cases. In contrast, magnetic impurities distort the metric on the moduli space. We show that mag…
The Abelian and non-Abelian vortices on orbifolds are investigated based on the moduli matrix approach, which is a powerful method to deal with the BPS equation. The moduli space and the vortex collision are discussed through the moduli matrix as well as the regular space. It is also shown that a quiver structure is found in the Kahler quotient, and a half of ADHM is obtained for the vortex theory on the orbifolds as the case before orbifolding.
We investigate vortices on a cylinder in supersymmetric non-Abelian gauge theory with hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. We identify moduli space of periodic vortices and find that a pair of wall-like objects appears as the vortex moduli is varied. Usual domain walls also can be obtained from the single vortex on the cylinder by introducing a twisted boundary condition. We can understand these phenomena as a T-duality among D-brane configurations in type II superstring theories. Using this T-duality picture, we find a one-to-one correspondence between the moduli space of non-Ab…
We review recent results on the BPS multi-wall solutions in supersymmetric U(N_C) gauge theories in five dimensions with N_F(>N_C) hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. Total moduli space of the BPS non-Abelian walls is found to be the complex Grassmann manifold SU(N_F)/[SU(N_C)xSU(N_F-N_C)xU(1)]. Exact solutions are obtained with full generic moduli for infinite gauge coupling. A 1/4 BPS equation is also solved, giving vortices together with the non-Abelian walls and monopoles in the Higgs phase attached to the vortices. The full moduli space of the 1/4 BPS solutions is found to …
There are a large number of systems characterized by a completely broken gauge symmetry, but with an unbroken global color-flavor diagonal symmetry, i.e., systems in the so-called color-flavor locked phase. If the gauge symmetry breaking supports vortices, the latter develop non-Abelian orientational zero-modes and become non-Abelian vortices, a subject of intense study in the last several years. In this paper we consider the effects of weakly gauging the full exact global flavor symmetry in such systems, deriving an effective description of the light excitations in the presence of a vortex. S…
We consider the bosonic sector of a N=2 supersymmetric Chern-Simons-Higgs theory in 2+1 dimensions. The gauge group is U(1)xU(N) and has N_f flavors of fundamental matter fields. The model supports non-Abelian (axially symmetric) vortices when N_f\geq N, which have internal (orientational) moduli. When N_f > N, the solutions acquire additional collective coordinates parameterizing their transverse size. We solve the BPS equations numerically and obtain local (N_f = N) and semi-local (N_f > N) string solutions.
We review our recent works on solitons in U(Nc) gauge theories with Nf (>Nc) Higgs fields in the fundamental representation, which possess eight supercharges. The moduli matrix is proposed as a crucial tool to exhaust all BPS solutions, and to characterize all possible moduli parameters. Since vacua are in the Higgs phase, we find domain walls (kinks) and vortices as the only elementary solitons. Stable monopoles and instantons can exist as composite solitons with vortices attached. Webs of walls are also found as another composite soliton. The moduli space of all these elementary as well as c…
The thermodynamics of vortices in the critically coupled abelian Higgs model, defined on the plane, are investigated by placing $N$ vortices in a region of the plane with periodic boundary conditions: a torus. It is noted that the moduli space for $N$ vortices, which is the same as that of $N$ indistinguishable points on a torus, fibrates into a $CP_{N-1}$ bundle over the Jacobi manifold of the torus. The volume of the moduli space is a product of the area of the base of this bundle and the volume of the fibre. These two values are determined by considering two 2-surfaces in the bundle corresp…
The moduli space metric and its Kahler potential for well-separated non-Abelian vortices are obtained in U(N) gauge theories with N Higgs fields in the fundamental representation.
We calculate the Kähler potential for the Samols metric on the moduli space of Abelian Higgs vortices on $\mathbbm{R}^{2}$, in two different ways. The first uses a scaling argument. The second is related to the Polyakov conjecture in Liouville field theory. The Kähler potential on the moduli space of vortices on $\mathbbm{H}^{2}$ is also derived, and we are led to a geometrical reinterpretation of these vortices. Finally, we attempt to find the Kähler potential for vortices on $\mathbbm{R}^{2}$ in a third way by relating the vortices to SU(2) Yang-Mills instantons on $\mathbbm{R}^{2}\times S^{…
We review recent results on solitons in supersymmetric (SUSY) non-Abelian gauge theories, focusing on our papers: hep-th/0405194, hep-th/0405129, and hep-th/0404198. We construct the BPS multi-wall solutions in supersymmetric U(N_C) gauge theories in five dimensions with N_F(>N_C) hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. Exact solutions are obtained with full generic moduli for infinite gauge coupling. Total moduli space of the BPS non-Abelian walls is found to be the complex Grassmann manifold SU(N_F) / [SU(N_C)\times SU(N_F-N_C) \times U(1)]. A 1/4 BPS equation is also studied whic…
There seems to be close relationship between the moduli space of vortices and the moduli space of instantons, which is not yet clearly understood from a standpoint of the field theory. We clarify the reasons why many similarities are found in the methods for constructing the moduli of instanton and vortex, viewed in the light of the notion of the self-duality. We show that the non-Abelian vortex is nothing but the instanton in $R^{2} \times Z_{2}$ from a viewpoint of the noncommutative differential geometry and the gauge theory in discrete space. The action for pure Yang-Mills theory in $R^{2}…
Many properties of the moduli space of abelian vortices on a compact Riemann surface are known. For non-abelian vortices the moduli space is less well understood. Here we consider non-abelian vortices on the Riemann sphere CP^1, and we study their moduli spaces near the Bradlow limit. We give an explicit description of the moduli space as a Kahler quotient of a finite-dimensional linear space. The dimensions of some of these moduli spaces are derived. Strikingly, there exist non-abelian vortex configurations on CP^1, with non-trivial vortex number, for which the moduli space is a point. This i…
We consider Yang-Mills theory on manifolds ${\mathbb R}\times X$ with a $d$-dimensional Riemannian manifold $X$ of special holonomy admitting gauge instanton equations. Instantons are considered as particle-like solutions in $d+1$ dimensions whose static configurations are concentrated on $X$. We study how they evolve in time when considered as solutions of the Yang-Millsequations on ${\mathbb R}\times X$ with moduli depending on time $t\in{\mathbb R}$. It is shown that in the adiabatic limit, when the metric in the $X$ direction is scaled down, the classical dynamics of slowly moving instanto…
We study non-Abelian Chern-Simon BPS-saturated vortices enjoying N=2 supersymmetry in d=2+1 dimensions, with generic gauge groups of the form U(1) x G', with G' being a simple group, allowing for orientational modes in the solutions. We will keep the group as general as possible and utilizing the powerful moduli matrix formalism to provide the moduli spaces of vortices and derive the corresponding master equations. Furthermore, we study numerically the vortices applying a radial Ansatz to solve the obtained master equations and we find especially a splitting of the magnetic fields, when the co…
Vortices carrying truly non-Abelian flux moduli, which do not dynamically reduce to Abelian vortices, are found in the context of softly-broken ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric chromodynamics (SQCD). By tuning the bare quark masses appropriately we identify the vacuum in which the underlying SU(N) gauge group is partially broken to $SU(n) \times SU(r) \times U(1)/{\mathbbm Z}_{K}$, where $K$ is the least common multiple of $(n, r)$, and with $N_{f}^{su(n)}=n$ and $N_{f}^{su(r)}=r$ flavors of light quark multiplets. At much lower energies the gauge group is broken completely by the squark VEVs, and …
Non-Abelian BPS vortices in SO(N) x U(1) and USp(2N) x U(1) gauge theories are constructed in maximally color-flavor locked vacua. We study in detail their moduli and transformation properties under the exact symmetry of the system. Our results generalize non-trivially those found earlier in supersymmetric U(N) gauge theories. The structure of the moduli spaces turns out in fact to be considerably richer here than what was found in the U(N) theories. We find that vortices are generally of the semi-local type, with power-like tails of profile functions.
We study the twisted indices of $\mathcal{N}=4$ supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions on spatial $S^{2}$ with an angular momentum refinement. We demonstrate factorisation of the index into holomorphic blocks for the $T[SU(N)]$ theory in the presence of generic fluxes and fugacities. We also investigate the relation between the twisted index, Hilbert series and the moduli space of vortices. In particular, we show that each holomorphic block coincides with a generating function for the $χ_{t}$ genera of the moduli spaces of "local" vortices. The twisted index itself coincides with a …
Non-Abelian BPS vortex solutions are constructed in N=2 theories with gauge groups SO(N)\times U(1). The model has N_f flavors of chiral multiplets in the vector representation of SO(N), and we consider a color-flavor locked vacuum in which the gauge symmetry is completely broken, leaving a global SO(N)_{C+F} diagonal symmetry unbroken. Individual vortices break this symmetry, acquiring continuous non-Abelian orientational moduli. By embedding this model in high-energy theories with a hierarchical symmetry breaking pattern such as SO(N+2) --> SO(N)\times U(1) --> 1, the correspondence between …
We completely determine the moduli space M_{N,k} of k-vortices in U(N) gauge theory with N Higgs fields in the fundamental representation. Its open subset for separated vortices is found as the symmetric product (C x CP^{N-1})^k / S_k. Orbifold singularities of this space correspond to coincident vortices and are resolved resulting in a smooth moduli manifold. Relation to Kahler quotient construction is discussed.
Volume of moduli space of non-Abelian BPS domain-walls is exactly obtained in U(N_c) gauge theory with N_f matters. The volume of the moduli space is formulated, without an explicit metric, by a path integral under constraints on BPS equations. The path integral over fields reduces to a finite dimensional contour integral by a localization mechanism. Our volume formula satisfies a Seiberg like duality between moduli spaces of the U(N_c) and U(N_f-N_c) non-Abelian BPS domain-walls in a strong coupling region. We also find a T-duality between domain-walls and vortices on a cylinder. The moduli s…
We study BPS string-like solutions in the 3+1 dimensional gauged CP(1) non-linear sigma model. The same analysis can be applied to study instantons in 2 euclidean dimensions. We use the moduli matrix approach to construct analytically the moduli space and and solve numerically the BPS equations. We identify two topologically inequivalent type of magnetic vortices, which we call S and N vortices. Moreover we discuss their relation to "lump-string" solutions present in the un-gauged case. In particular, we describe how a lump is split into a couple of component S-N vortices after gauging. We ext…
We find half-BPS vortex solitons, at both weak and strong coupling, in the N=6 supersymmetric mass deformation of ABJM theory with U(N) x U(N) gauge symmetry and Chern-Simons level k. The strong coupling gravity dual is obtained by performing a Z_k quotient of the N=8 supersymmetric eleven dimensional supergravity background of Lin, Lunin and Maldacena corresponding to the mass deformed M2-brane theory. At weak coupling, the BPS vortices preserving six supersymmetries are found in the Higgs vacuum of the theory where the gauge symmetry is broken to U(1) x U(1). The classical vortex solitons br…
The moduli space dynamics of vortices in the Jackiw-Pi model where a non-relativistic Schrodinger field couples minimally to Chern-Simons gauge field, is considered. It is shown that the difficulties in direct application of Manton's method to obtain a moduli-space metric in the first order system can be circumvented by turning the Lagrangian into a second order system. We obtain exact metrics for some simple cases and describe how the vortices respond to an external U(1) field. We then construct an effective Lagrangian describing dynamics of the vortices. In addition, we clarify strong-weak c…
We determine the dimension of the moduli space of non-Abelian vortices in Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons-Higgs theory in 2+1 dimensions for gauge groups $G=({\rm U}(1)\times G')/\mathbb{Z}_{n_0}$ with $G'$ being an arbitrary semi-simple group and $n_0$ the greatest common divisor of the Abelian charges of the $G'$ invariants. The calculation is carried out using a Callias-type index theorem, the moduli matrix approach and a D-brane setup in Type IIB string theory. We prove that the index theorem gives the number of zeromodes or moduli of the non-Abelian vortices, extend the moduli matrix approach to …
We study the moduli space volume of BPS vortices in quiver gauge theories on compact Riemann surfaces. The existence of BPS vortices imposes constraints on the quiver gauge theories. We show that the moduli space volume is given by a vev of a suitable cohomological operator (volume operator) in a supersymmetric quiver gauge theory, where BPS equations of the vortices are embedded. In the supersymmetric gauge theory, the moduli space volume is exactly evaluated as a contour integral by using the localization. Graph theory is useful to construct the supersymmetric quiver gauge theory and to deri…
We study the stability of non-Abelian semi-local vortices based on an N=2 supersymmetric H = [SU(Nc) x U(1)]/Z_Nc = U(Nc) gauge theory with an arbitrary number of flavors (Nf > Nc) in the fundamental representation, when certain N=1 mass terms are present, making the vortex solutions no longer BPS-saturated. Local (ANO-like) vortices are found to be stable against fluctuations in the transverse directions. Strong evidence is found that the ANO-like vortices are actually the true minima. In other words, the semi-local moduli, which are present in the BPS limit, disappear in our non-BPS system, …
Effects of mass deformations on 1/2 Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) non-Abelian vortices are studied in 4d N=2 supersymmetric U(1) \times SO(2n) and U(1) \times USp(2n) gauge theories, with Nf=2n quark multiplets. The 2d N=(2,2) effective worldsheet sigma models on the Hermitian symmetric spaces SO(2n)/U(n) and USp(2n)/U(n) found recently which describe the low-energy excitations of the orientational moduli of the vortices, are generalized to the respective massive sigma models. The continuous vortex moduli spaces are replaced by a finite number (2^{n-1} or 2^{n}) of vortex solutions. The…
Non-Abelian vortices in six spacetime dimensions are obtained for a supersymmetric U(N) gauge theory with N hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation. Massless (moduli) fields are identified and classified into Nambu-Goldstone and quasi-Nambu-Goldstone fields. Effective gauge theories for the moduli fields are constructed on the four-dimensional world volume of vortices. A systematic method to obtain the most general form of the effective Lagrangian consistent with symmetry is proposed. The moduli space for the multi-vortices is found to be a vector bundle over the complex Grassmann ma…
In this note we show that for the group G = U(N) the space of Hecke modifications of a rank N vector bundle over a Riemann surface C coincides with the moduli space of solutions of certain non-abelian vortex equations over C . Through the recent work of Kapustin and Witten this then leads to an isomorphism between the moduli space of vortices and the moduli space of singular monopoles on the product of C with a closed interval I .
We compute the Euler characteristics of the moduli spaces of abelian vortices on curves with nodal and cuspidal singularities. This generalizes our previous work where only nodes were taken into account. The result we obtain is again consistent with the expected reconciliation between the vortex picture of D2-D0 branes and the proposal by Gopakumar and Vafa.
We use the framework of Quot schemes to give a novel description of the moduli spaces of stable n-pairs, also interpreted as gauged vortices on a closed Riemann surface with target Mat(r x n, C), where n >= r. We then show that these moduli spaces embed canonically into certain Grassmann manifolds, and thus obtain natural Kaehler metrics of Fubini-Study type; these spaces are smooth at least in the local case r=n. For abelian local vortices we prove that, if a certain "quantization" condition is satisfied, the embedding can be chosen in such a way that the induced Fubini-Study structure realiz…
Quantum vortices in the color-flavor locked (CFL) phase of QCD have bosonic degrees of freedom, called the orientational zero modes, localized on them. We show that the orientational zero modes are electromagnetically charged. As a result, a vortex in the CFL phase nontrivially interacts with photons. We show that a lattice of vortices acts as a polarizer of photons with wavelengths larger than some critical length.
We derive general expressions for the Kaehler form of the L^2-metric in terms of standard 2-forms on vortex moduli spaces. In the case of abelian vortices in gauged linear sigma-models, this allows us to compute explicitly the Kaehler class of the L^2-metric. As an application we compute the total volume of the moduli space of abelian semi-local vortices. In the strong coupling limit, this then leads to conjectural formulae for the volume of the space of holomorphic maps from a compact Riemann surface to projective space. Finally we show that the localization results of Samols in the abelian H…
At Bradlow's limit, the moduli space of Bogomol'nyi vortices on a compact Riemann surface of genus $g$ is determined. The Kähler form, and the volume of the moduli space is then computed. These results are compared with the corresponding results previously obtained for a general vortex moduli space.
The interplay of gauge dynamics and flavor symmetries often leads to remarkably subtle phenomena in the presence of soliton configurations. Non-Abelian vortices -- vortex solutions with continuous internal orientational moduli -- provide an example. Here we study the effect of weakly gauging a U(1)_R subgroup of the flavor symmetry on such BPS vortex solutions. Our prototypical setting consists of an SU(2) x U(1) gauge theory with N_f=2 sets of fundamental scalars that break the gauge symmetry to an "electromagnetic" U(1). The weak U(1)_R gauging converts the well-known CP1 orientation modulus…
We study a simple model supporting domain walls which possess two orientational moduli in addition to the conventional translational modulus. This model is conceptually close to Witten's cosmic strings. We observe an $O(3)$ sigma model on the wall world volume in the low-energy limit. We solve (numerically) classical static equations of motion and find the wall profile functions and the value of the coupling of the $O(3)$ model in terms of the bulk parameters. In the second part a term describing a spin-orbit interaction in the bulk is added, which gives rise to an entanglement between rotatio…
Multivortex dynamics in Manton's Schroedinger--Chern--Simons variant of the Landau-Ginzburg model of thin superconductors is studied within a moduli space approximation. It is shown that the reduced flow on M_N, the N vortex moduli space, is hamiltonian with respect to ω_{L^2}, the L^2 Kaehler form on \M_N. A purely hamiltonian discussion of the conserved momenta associated with the euclidean symmetry of the model is given, and it is shown that the euclidean action on (M_N,ω_{L^2}) is not hamiltonian. It is argued that the N=3 flow is integrable in the sense of Liouville. Asymptotic formulae f…
We consider the N=1* supersymmetric SU(2) gauge theory and demonstrate that the Z_2 vortices in this theory acquire orientational zero modes, associated with the rotation of magnetic flux inside SU(2) group, and turn into the non-Abelian strings, when the masses of all chiral fields become equal. These non-Abelian strings are not BPS-saturated. We study the effective theory on the string world sheet and show that it is given by two-dimensional non-supersymmetric O(3) sigma model. The confined 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole is seen as a junction of the Z_2-string and anti-string, and as a kink in t…
Non-Abelian vortex strings supported in a certain four-dimensional N=2 Yang-Mills theory with fundamental matter were shown arXiv:1502.00683 to become critical superstrings. In addition to translational moduli non-Abelian string under consideration carries orientational and size moduli. Their dynamics is described by two-dimensional sigma model whose target space is a tautological bundle over the complex projective space. For the N=2 theory with the $U(2)$ gauge group and four fundamental hypermultiplets there are six orientational and size moduli. After combining with four translational modul…
We study BPS non-abelian semilocal vortices in U(Nc) gauge theory with Nf flavors, Nf > Nc, in the Higgs phase. The moduli space for arbitrary winding number is described using the moduli matrix formalism. We find a relation between the moduli spaces of the semilocal vortices in a Seiberg-like dual pairs of theories, U(Nc) and U(Nf-Nc). They are two alternative regularizations of a "parent" non-Hausdorff space, which tend to the same moduli space of sigma-model lumps in the infinite gauge coupling limits. We examine the normalizability of the zero-modes and find the somewhat surprising phenome…
We investigate the structure of the moduli space of multiple BPS non-Abelian vortices in U(N) gauge theory with N fundamental Higgs fields, focusing our attention on the action of the exact global (color-flavor diagonal) SU(N) symmetry on it. The moduli space of a single non-Abelian vortex, CP(N-1), is spanned by a vector in the fundamental representation of the global SU(N) symmetry. The moduli space of winding-number k vortices is instead spanned by vectors in the direct-product representation: they decompose into the sum of irreducible representations each of which is associated with a Youn…
Non-Abelian vortices are topologically stable objects in the color-flavor locked (CFL) phase of dense QCD. We derive a dual Lagrangian starting with the Ginzburg-Landau effective Lagrangian for the CFL phase, and obtain topological interactions of non-Abelian vortices with quasiparticles such as $U(1)_B$ Nambu-Goldstone bosons (phonons) and massive gluons. We find that the phonons couple to the translational zero modes of the vortices while the gluons couple to their orientational zero modes in the internal space.
We study vortex dynamics in three-dimensional theories with Chern-Simons interactions. The dynamics is governed by motion on the moduli space M in the presence of a magnetic field. For Abelian vortices, the magnetic field is shown to be the Ricci form over M; for non-Abelian vortices, it is the first Chern character of a suitable index bundle. We derive these results by integrating out massive fermions and following the fate of their zero modes.
We discuss some of the latest results concerning the non-Abelian vortices. The first concerns the construction of non-Abelian BPS vortices based on general gauge groups of the form G= G' x U(1). In particular detailed results about the vortex moduli space have been obtained for G'=SO(N) or USp(2N). The second result is about the "fractional vortices", i.e., vortices of the minimum winding but having substructures in the tension (or flux) density in the transverse plane. Thirdly, we discuss briefly the monopole-vortex complex.
We consider the self-dual vortex equations on a positive line bundle L --> M over a compact Kaehler manifold of arbitrary dimension. When M is simply connected, the moduli space of vortex solutions is a projective space. When M is an abelian variety, the moduli space is the projectivization of the Fourier-Mukai transform of L. We extend this description of the moduli space to the abelian GLSM, i.e. to vortex equations with a torus gauge group acting linearly on a complex vector space. After establishing the Hitchin-Kobayashi correspondence appropriate for the general abelian GLSM, we give expl…
We investigate the geometry of the moduli space of N-vortices on line bundles over a closed Riemann surface of genus g > 1, in the little explored situation where 1 =< N < g. In the regime where the area of the surface is just large enough to accommodate N vortices (which we call the dissolving limit), we describe the relation between the geometry of the moduli space and the complex geometry of the Jacobian variety of the surface. For N = 1, we show that the metric on the moduli space converges to a natural Bergman metric on the Riemann surface. When N > 1, the vortex metric typically degenera…
