Abstract

Composite hadronic states exhibit interesting properties in the presence of very intense magnetic fields, such as those conjectured to exist in the vicinity of certain astrophysical objects. We discuss three scenarios. (i) The presence of vector particles with anomalous magnetic moment couplings to scalar particles, induces an instability of the vacuum. (ii) A delicate interplay between the anomalous magnetic moments of the proton and neutron makes, in magnetic fields B≥2×1014 T, the neutron stable and for fields B≥5×1014 T, the proton becomes unstable to a decay into a neutron via β emission. (iii) In the unbroken chiral σ model magnetic fields would be screened out as in a superconductor. It is the explicit breaking of chiral invariance that restores standard electrodynamics. Astrophysical consequences of all these phenomena are discussed.

Highlights

  • Very intense magnetic fields have been conjectured to exist in connection with several astrophysical phenomena

  • Supernova may contain fields up to 101° T [1]; a recent model for extrgalactic gamma ray bursts [2] involves fields of 1013 T and fields of strengths greater than 1014 T are associated with cosmic strings [3]

  • We have presented several mechanisms that may inhibit the existence of fields beyond 1014 T and that may induce unusual hadronic phenomena as proton/~ decay into a neutron

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Summary

Introduction

Very intense magnetic fields have been conjectured to exist in connection with several astrophysical phenomena. Supernova may contain fields up to 101° T [1]; a recent model for extrgalactic gamma ray bursts [2] involves fields of 1013 T and fields of strengths greater than 1014 T are associated with cosmic strings [3]. The latter are due to [4] currents I = 1020 A in strings whose thickness is 1/Mw. The presence of fields with electromagnetic couplings of non-electromagnetic origin induces instabilities in such large fields. We shall discuss each of these topics in turn and some possible consequences at the end

Instabilities due to Magnetic Dipole Transitions
Screening of Fields by Chiral Symmetry Breaking
Conclusions

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