 Topological baryon number in the Skyrme model

For a smooth Skyrme model field $U:{\mathbb{R}}^3\to SU(2)$ with $U(\infty )=1$, compactification gives a map $S^3\to S^3$. With $L_i=U^{†}{\partial }_{i}U$, its degree of a map between oriented manifolds is $B=-(24{\pi }^2{)}^{-1}\int {ϵ}_{ijk}\mathrm{tr}(L_i{L}_j{L}_k)d^{3}x$, with sign chosen so the standard decreasing hedgehog profile has $B=1$. The integrand is the pullback of the normalized volume form on $SU(2)$. Hence it is integer-valued and unchanged by smooth finite-energy homotopies. In the rational map approximation for Skyrmions, a degree-$N$ angular map and profile $f(0)=\pi ,f(\infty )=0$ give $B=-(2N/\pi )\int f^{\prime }{\sin }^{2}fdr=N$. This is a topological conservation law, not the Noether charge of isospin.