A string-like self-dual solution of Yang-Mills theory

We attempt to obtain Nielsen-Olesen strings in pure Yang-Mills theory without Higgs scalars. This is inspired by recent work interpreting the Prasad-Sommerfield monopole as a static self-dual Yang-Mills solution in which A₄^a plays the role of the Higgs field. In similar fashion, we make A₃^aA₄^a serve as the two required isovector fields in an ansatz independent of x₃ and x₄. The condition of self-duality results in a single Painlevé equation of the third kind (or equivalently, a radial sinh-Gordon equation in 2 + 0 dimensions), the solution of which determines A_μ^a. We make use of the extensive analysis of the former equation carried out by Wu, McCoy and collaborators in the context of the scaling limit of the two-dimensional Ising model. Their simplest solution yields a flux value of ?2π/e just as in the Nielsen-Olesen model and flux is quantized in multiples of this unit. The string tension (action per unit time per unit distance) diverges as r^?2 (In r)^?2 as r → 0 for the same Wu-McCoy solution.     

BRS symmetry for Yang-Mills theory with exact renormalization group

In the exact renormalization-group (RG) flow in the infrared cutoff Λ one needs boundary conditions. In a previous paper on SU(2) Yang-Mills theory we proposed to use the nine physical relevant couplings of the effective action as boundary conditions at the physical point Λ= 0 (these couplings are defined at some non-vanishing subtraction point μ≠ 0). In this paper we show perturbatively that it is possible to appropriately fix these couplings in such a way that the full set of Slavnov-Taylor (ST) identities are satisfied. Three couplings are given by the vector and ghost wave-function normalization and the three-vector coupling at the subtraction point; three of the remaining six are vanishing (e.g. the vector mass) and the others are expressed by irrelevant vertices evaluated at the subtraction point. We follow the method used by Becchi to prove ST identities in the RG framework. There the boundary conditions are given at a non-physical point Λ = Λ′ ≠ 0, so that one avoids the need of a non-vanishing subtraction point.     

Non-linear multi-plane wave solutions of self-dual Yang-Mills theory

New solutions of self-dual Yang-Mills (SDYM) equations are constructed in Minkowski space-time for the gauge groupSL(2, ). After proposing a Lorentz covariant formulation of Yang's equations, a set of Ansätze for exact non-linear multiplane wave solutions are proposed. The gauge fields are rational functions ofe ^x·ki (K _i ² =0, 1iN) for these Ansätze. At least, three families of multisoliton type solutions are derived explicitly. Their asymptotic behaviour shows that non-linear waves scatter non-trivially in Minkowski SDYM.On leave from LPTHE Université Paris VI, 4, Place Jussieu, Tour 16, ler étage, F-75230 Paris Cedex 05, France     

Affine Yang-Mills theory and affine self-dual Chern-Simons Solitons

A four-dimensional affine Yang-Mills theory, i.e. Yang—Mills gauge theory with values in an affine Kac-Moody algebra, is constructed which can give rise to a spontaneous breakdown of the affine symmetry. The affine self-dual Yang-Mills equation (which is a special kind of affine YM theory) in four dimensions is dimensionally reduced to the affine self-dual Chem-Simons equation in two dimensions. The latter is shown to have soliton solutions which satisfy the conformal affine Toda equations.K. C. Wong Research Award Winner; address after 28 October 1992: Department of Mathematics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.     

Yang-Mills fields which are not self-dual

The purpose of this paper is to prove the existence of a new family of non-self-dual finite-energy solutions to the Yang-Mills equations on Euclidean four-space, withSU(2) as a gauge group. The approach is that of equivariant geometry: attention is restricted to a special class of fields, those that satisfy a certain kind of rotational symmetry, for which it is proved that (1) a solution to the Yang-Mills equations exists among them; and (2) no solution to the self-duality equations exists among them. The first assertion is proved by an application of the direct method of the calculus of variations (existence and regularity of minimizers), and the second assertion by studying the symmetry properties of the linearized self-duality equations. The same technique yields a new family of non-self-dual solutions on the complex projective plane.     

Permutability property for self-dual Yang-Mills fields

A permutability property for Bäcklund transformations of the self-dual SU(2) Yang-Mills fields is shown to exist. We give a superposition-type formula, whose iteration permits the simple algebraic construction of solutions of the self-dual Yang-Mills equations.This Letter has been authored under contract DE-AC02-76H00016 with the U.S. Department of Energy.     

Explicit classical solutions to Euclidean Yang-Mills theory with spherical symmetry

All real classical solutions of the SU(2) Yang-Mills theory with spherical symmetry in 4-dimensional Euclidean space are constructed analytically and catalogued. The uniqueness of the solution of Belavinet al in possessing finite action is explicitly demonstrated.     

Spinorial linear system for self-dual Yang-Mills equations

A conformally covariant linear system acting on a spinor (instead of a scalar) function is used to construct infinite series of nontrivially conserved currents for the restriction of self-dual Yang-Mills to the so-called A (1) set, or't Hooft ansatz.     

Ansätze for self-dual Yang-Mills fields

A sequenceA ₁,A ₂, ... of ansätze for generating self-dual solutions of the Yang-Mills equations is presented. For eachn,A _n produces a solution depending on two arbitrary functions of three variables. As an application, we see thatA ₂ generates a static Yang-Mills-Higgs 2-monopole solution.     

Loop Group-Valued CS and WZNW models,integrable systems,and self-dual Yang-Mills theory

Affine CS and WZNW theories with values in infinite-dimensional (loop) groups are proposed. It appears that the affine CS theory naturally introduces a spectral parameter into a CS theory. The Sinh-Gordon, KdV, and nonlinear Schrödinger equations are obtained, via Hamiltonian reductions, from the affine WZNW. It is shown that the self-dual Yang-Mills (SDYM) equation is related to the equation of motion of the affine WZNW and, thus, symmetry algebra underlying the SDYM can be identified with the affine two-loop Kac-Moody algebra of the affine WZNW.K. C. Wong Research Award Winner, address after 28 October 1992: Department of Mathematics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.     

Minkowski space Yang-Mills fields from Euclidean self-dual fields

It is examined, if it is possible, to obtain solutions of the SU(2) Yang-Mills field equations in Minkowski space from Euclidean self-dual Yang-Mills fields by method proposed by Bernreuther. It is shown that the conditions, which are imposed on the Euclidean self-dual fields by this method, make every Euclidean self-dual field and the corresponding Minkowski space field obtained from it, equivalent to a pure gauge field, F _ab 0.     

Green functions in a super self-dual Yang-Mills background

In euclidean supersymmetric theories of chiral superfields and vector superfields coupled to a super-self-dual Yang-Mills background, we define Green functions for the Laplace-type differential operators which are obtained from the quadratic part of the action. These Green functions are expressed in terms of the Green function on the space of right chiral superfields, and an explicit expression for the right chiral Green function in the fundamental representation of an SU(n) gauge group is presented using the supersymmetric version of the ADHM formalism. The superfield kernels associated with the Laplace-type operators are used to obtain the one-loop quantum corrections to the super-self-dual Yang-Mills action, and also to provide a superfield version of the super-index theorems for the components of chiral superfields in a self-dual background.     

Painlevé test for the self-dual Yang-Mills equation

It is shown that the SU(2) self-dual Yang-Mills equation passes the Painlevé test for complete integrability.     

On the number of parameters of self-dual Yang-Mills configurations

Using pure differential-geometric ideas (Lie groups as R-spaces and related properties) a new method of determining the number of parameters of a self-dual Yang-Mills configuration is proposed. Some connections with the Atiyah-Ward twistor approach are also revealed.