String-like topological excitations of the electromagnetic field

In order to analyze the topological properties of an arbitrary configuration of the electromagnetic field, its strength F_μν is expressed in terms of new auxiliary fields which replace the gauge potential A_μ. These new fields have only physical singularities even in the presence of monopoles (no Dirac strings) and exhibit a new local O(1, 1) symmetry which replaces the gauge invariance. Boundary conditions on these fields may induce localized string-like singularities or topological defects which act as sources of magnetic field. A typical defect which emerges is a sort of tadpole formed by a non-quantized monopole attached to one or more magnetic strings of finite length. For topological reasons the total magnetic charge is quantized.