Abstract
We present the results of an explicit numerical computation of a novel instanton in Georgi-Glashow SU(2) theory. The instanton is physically relevant as a mediator of Schwinger production of 't Hooft-Polyakov magnetic monopoles from strong magnetic fields. In weak fields, the pair production rate has previously been computed using the worldline approximation, which breaks down in strong fields due to the effects of finite monopole size. Using lattice field theory we have overcome this limit, including finite monopole size effects to all orders. We demonstrate that a full consideration of the internal monopole structure results in an enhancement to the pair production rate, and confirm earlier results that monopole production becomes classical at the Ambjorn-Olesen critical field strength.
Highlights
Magnetic monopoles are hypothetical particles consisting of a single, isolated magnetic pole
Magnetic monopoles can be included in a theory as elementary particles [2,3,4,5,6], or they can appear as solitonic excitations in a wide class of non-Abelian gauge theories [7,8]
While the computation of the Schwinger production rate is possible by many methods, worldline instantons—which are applicable when the produced particles can be considered pointlike—are useful because they can be used for strongly coupled particles, inhomogeneous external fields [20,21,22], and finite temperatures [23]
Summary
Magnetic monopoles are hypothetical particles consisting of a single, isolated magnetic pole. Though commonly omitted from Maxwell’s equations, there are no known theoretical barriers to their existence, and they are predicted by a wide range of theories extending the Standard Model. A recent review of the theoretical and experimental status of magnetic monopoles can be found in Ref. Magnetic monopoles can be included in a theory as elementary particles [2,3,4,5,6], or they can appear as solitonic excitations in a wide class of non-Abelian gauge theories [7,8]. The existence of dualities [11] means that the distinction between elementary and solitonic excitations is not well defined: in such theories, our results may apply to elementary particles
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