Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge University, Silver Street, Cambridge CB3 9EW, UK
Abstract:
Cosmological solutions with a homogeneous Yang-Mills field which oscillates and passes between topologically distinct vacua are discussed. These solutions are used to model the collapsing Bartnik-McKinnon gravitational sphaleron and the associated anomalous production of fermions. The Dirac equation is analyzed in these backgrounds. It is shown explicity that a fermion energy level crosses from the negative to positive energy spectrum as the gauge field evolves between the topologically distinct vacua. The cosmological solutions are also generalized to include an axion field.