The Inevitability of Sphalerons in Field Theory
arXiv:1903.11573 · doi:10.1098/rsta.2018.0327
Abstract
The topological structure of field theory often makes inevitable the existence of stable and unstable localised solutions of the field equations. These are minima and saddle points of the energy. Saddle point solutions occurring this way are known as sphalerons, and the most interesting one is in the electroweak theory of coupled W, Z and Higgs bosons. The topological ideas underpinning sphalerons are reviewed here.
18 pages, 5 figures. Based on Lecture at Royal Society Scientific Discussion Meeting: Topological Avatars of New Physics, 4-5 March 2019