On Instabilities Caused by Magnetic Background Fields

Abstract

We review instabilities that appear from the coupling of spin-one fields to a magnetic background in a non-Abelian theory. Such coupling results, due to asymptotic freedom in a negative quantum, contribute to the effective potential. In QCD, the Savvidy vacuum results. However, due to the tachyonic mode, such a state is not stable, and the question about the true ground state of QCD is still open. In the electroweak model, the corresponding instability is postponed to very large background fields and may be of relevance in the early universe, at best. We start with an introduction to the topic and display the necessary formulas and methods. Then, we consider the one-particle spectra of the fields in a magnetic background and the related Euler–Heisenberg Lagrangians. In addition, we discuss the potential instability connected with the anomalous moment of the electron. The main part is on the quantum correction to the energy in non-Abelian fields, including massive ones. Here, the focus is on so-called electroweak magnetism and the search for a classical solution of the field equations and their approximations by a lattice of flux tubes. Finally, we review approaches with non-homogeneous background fields and the background of an A0-field.