Fluctuation operator of a phi-four kink 2026-10-05
Linearizing about the phi-four kink gives the displayed one-dimensional Schrodinger operator in unit kinetic normalization. Its translational zero mode in field theory is proportional to . The localized shape eigenfunction has squared frequency , while the continuum starts at . Substitution verifies both bound-state eigenfunctions. The Pöschl-Teller potential permits a short completeness argument for the bound modes. In let . Then , its partner is , and . The last operator has no bound states. The kernels of and give the two stated modes, while the partner spectra exclude any further normalizable bound modes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 308 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
A Bogomolny bound expresses a static field energy as nonnegative squares plus a term fixed by the topological charge or boundary data. Setting the squares to zero gives the first-order Bogomolny equations. Their solutions minimize the energy in that sector and satisfy the second-order Euler-Lagrange field equations, although a general stationary solution need not attain the bound.
For one real scalar in one spatial dimension, take the Lagrangian densityA finite-energy field configuration in this static sector must approach scalar-field vacua with at the two ends. Completing the square gives the square completion for a one-dimensional kink:Choose the sign for which the boundary term is nonnegative. ThusTaking the derivative of the equality equation gives , the static Euler-Lagrange field equation. The boundary term is invariant under deformations keeping the asymptotic scalar-field vacua fixed; it is not a contribution from the local shape of the kink.
For a phi-four kink, let , , and select the sector , . Then , and the increasing Bogomolny equation is . Separating variables yieldsThe integration constant is the translational collective coordinate. Directly, and its energy density is , whose integral is . The decreasing antikink has the reversed boundary values, profile , and the same energy. A Lorentz boost produces the exact uniformly moving kink , with Lorentz factor and energy .
In two spatial dimensions, choose the Abelian Higgs model at critical coupling, with , , and energyThe gauge covariant derivative is used throughout this normalization. Integration by parts, using , gives , with a vanishing boundary divergence for the decaying vortex fields. Combining this identity with the magnetic and potential terms gives the Bogomolny square completion for an Abelian Higgs vortex:Finite-energy field configurations have at infinity, and makes the magnetic flux equal to the phase winding . For ,These are the Bogomolny vortex equations for an Abelian Higgs vortex. Opposite signs give antivortices and the bound . The coefficient follows from the explicit energy normalization above; other conventions can give . Static solutions of fixed positive vortex number have equal energy independent of their positions, giving the Abelian Higgs vortex moduli space used for slow dynamics.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 308 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
A collective coordinate describes a position, orientation, or another parameter of a family of static solitons. For a family , promote to a slowly varying and substitute into the field action. In a scalar theory with unit kinetic coefficient, this gives the collective-coordinate effective LagrangianFor a gauge-theory soliton, one also solves the Gauss law constraint in gauge theory constraint and projects out pure gauge transformations; arbitrary variations of gauge representatives do not define the physical metric. Tangent vectors to an exactly equal-energy family are zero modes in field theory. If is constant, the Euler-Lagrange equations of this moduli-space approximation arethe geodesic equations of its Riemannian metric. The approximation neglects radiation and deformation modes; it describes motion sufficiently slow that these omitted degrees of freedom remain unexcited to the required accuracy.
In collective-coordinate quantization, take the wavefunction measure and the minimal scalar Hamiltonian operatorThe Laplace-Beltrami operator supplies coordinate-invariant kinetic energy. Global identifications and statistics must be imposed on the wavefunctions; the classical metric alone does not choose them. Curvature-ordering terms and loop corrections are additional quantum input.
For the phi-four kink, use the normalization and profile of Question 1. Substituting givesThe metric is constant because of translation invariance. This proves the translational dynamics of a phi-four kink: classically the centre moves at constant velocity, and quantum mechanicallyPlane waves label the continuous translational momentum, with no position-dependent potential. Uniform-motion Lorentz invariance upgrades the dispersion to ; the displayed collective Lagrangian is its small-velocity expansion. Small perturbations also include an internal shape mode and continuum radiation, which this single collective coordinate omits. The fluctuation operator of a phi-four kink in this normalization isthe translational eigenfunction has , the shape mode has , and continuum modes in the spectrum start at . Thus the free-coordinate states describe the kink's low translational energies, not its full excitation spectrum or quantum mass correction.
For two Abelian Higgs vortices at critical coupling, the static energy is and the Abelian Higgs vortex moduli space has four real dimensions. Let be their positions, , and . The centre of mass decouples; the relative metric is rotationally symmetric and can be writtenAt large separation, , recovering two free particles. Although there is no static separation potential, the nonconstant metric produces velocity-dependent interaction. Coincidence is smooth in the relative coordinate for two identical vortices , not in the double-valued . Smoothness gives for near zero. A head-on geodesic continues through to the opposite real ray, so changes its line by : the vortices scatter through a right angle. This geometric argument does not require an explicit formula for .
With ordinary bosonic exchange statistics, relative wavefunctions are single-valued in and smooth at coincidence. In the separated polar coordinate they obey , with even integer angular labels. Their kinetic operator isThe apparent singularity at must be resolved with the smooth coordinate and regularity, rather than arbitrary boundary conditions on a punctured cone. The free centre-of-mass motion and the asymptotically free relative geometry give quantum scattering states; a flat static energy does not imply that the metric is flat or that scattering is absent. This is not a prediction of a discrete family of static two-vortex bound separations. The smooth collision geometry is developed in David Tong's arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0509216.
For a Skyrmion of baryon number one, the Skyrmion hedgehog ansatz iswhere are the Pauli matrices. Include a centre and an orientation through . Hedgehog symmetry identifies spatial rotations with opposite internal rotations, so there are three independent orientation coordinates, not six. Since and give the same field, the physical orientation space is , with SU(2) group as its double cover. Write . The leading collective Lagrangian has the formwhere is the rotational moment of inertia obtained by integrating the profile's field kinetic energy.
For the fermionic quantization appropriate to baryons, the Finkelstein-Rubinstein constraints on the double cover impose . In SU(2) representations, the central element acts by , so must be half-integer. Left and right group actions supply isospin and spin angular momentum; hedgehog symmetry makes their magnitudes equal. The rotational quantization of a unit Skyrmion therefore givesThe level has four spin-isospin states and models the nucleon doublet, proton and neutron, each with two spin states. The level has sixteen states and models the Delta baryon quartet, each with four spin states. The rotor predicts a splitting . Without the fermionic sign, single-valued functions on would instead allow integer , which is a different quantization. High rotor levels can couple to deformation and pion radiation; this semiclassical approximation does not establish that its entire formal tower consists of stable particles.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ib Paper 4 16A c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
For , completing the square gives the Bogomolny boundConsequentlywith equality exactly when the Bogomolny equationholds everywhere. Separating variables, or differentiating the proposed form directly, gives all solutions with the required limits:These are the translated phi-four kinks.