PIRSA:25020050 Scientific Series Particle Physics

DOI10.48660/25020050

Series: Particle Physics

Terning, J. (2025). Abelian Instantons. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/25020050

Terning, John. Abelian Instantons. Perimeter Institute, Feb. 28, 2025, https://pirsa.org/25020050 

@misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:25020050,
  doi = {10.48660/25020050},
  url = {https://pirsa.org/25020050},
  author = {Terning, John},
  keywords = {Particle Physics},
  language = {en},
  title = {Abelian Instantons},
  publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
  year = {2025},
  month = {feb},
  note = {PIRSA:25020050 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
}

Abstract

It is usually assumed that 4D instantons can only arise in non-Abelian theories. One can, however, explicitly construct instantons for QED in the background of a Dirac monopole. This is the low-energy effective field theory for fermions interacting with a 't Hooft-Polyakov monopole. This theory posesses both a topological instanton number and 't Hooft zero modes. I will show how such instantons provide the underlying mechanism for the Callan-Rubakov process: monopole-catalyzed baryon decay with a cross section that saturates the unitarity bound. 

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