Low-mass Solitons from Fractional Charges in Quantum Chromodynamics

Authors

A. P. Balachandran, Syracuse University
V. Parameswaran Nair, City College of New YorkFollow
N. Panchapakesan, Syracuse University
S. G. Rajeev, Syracuse University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-1983

Abstract

Slansky, Goldman, and Shaw have proposed a model to account for the observation of fractionally charged states. We show that in this model, there are expected to be several low-mass solitons (four being in the mass range ∼20-60 MeV) associated with the third homotopy group π₃(SU(3)/SO(3))=Z₄, besides a low-mass (∼30 MeV) Z₂ monopole. Confirmation of these levels and hence of the model has important implications for Cabrera's results on the magnetic monopole. An efficient algorithm for the calculation of π3(G/H) for a general Lie group G and a subgroup H is developed. It is pointed out that solitons associated with the third homotopy group are predicted by some grand-unified-theory scenarios.