Moduli Space Approximation Research Articles

Q-lump scattering

Q-lumps are spinning planar topological solitons with stationary solutions that satisfy first-order Bogomolny equations. Q-lump scattering has previously been studied only in the charge two sector, by approximating time evolution by motion in the moduli space of stationary solutions. In this paper, higher charge scattering is studied via motion on families of 4-dimensional submanifolds of moduli space, obtained by imposing cyclic symmetries. The results are shown to be in good agreement with field theory simulations, which are then applied to study more complicated Q-lump scattering processes, including examples where the moduli space approximation is not applicable. A variety of exotic scattering events are presented.

Scattering amplitudes and N-body post-Minkowskian Hamiltonians in general relativity and beyond

We present a general framework for calculating post-Minskowskian, classical, conservative Hamiltonians for N non-spinning bodies in general relativity from relativistic scattering amplitudes. Novel features for N > 2 are described including the subtraction of tree-like iteration contributions and the calculation of non-trivial many-body Fourier transform integrals needed to construct position space potentials. A new approach to calculating these integrals as an expansion in the hierarchical limit is described based on the method of regions. As an explicit example, we present the mathcal{O} (G2) 3-body momentum space potential in general relativity as well as for charged bodies in Einstein-Maxwell. The result is shown to be in perfect agreement with previous post-Newtonian calculations in general relativity up to mathcal{O} (G2v4). Furthermore, in appropriate limits the result is shown to agree perfectly with relativistic probe scattering in multi-center extremal black hole backgrounds and with the scattering of slowly-moving extremal black holes in the moduli space approximation.

Exact gravitational wave signatures from colliding extreme black holes

The low-energy dynamics of any system admitting a continuum of static configurations is approximated by slow motion in moduli (configuration) space. Here, following Ferrell and Eardley, this moduli space approximation is utilized to study collisions of two maximally charged Reissner--Nordstr{\"o}m black holes of arbitrary masses, and to compute analytically the gravitational radiation generated by their scattering or coalescence. The motion remains slow even though the fields are strong, and the leading radiation is quadrupolar. A simple expression for the gravitational waveform is derived and compared at early and late times to expectations.

Dynamics of vortices with magnetic impurities

We investigate the dynamics of Bogomolny-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) vortices in the presence of magnetic impurities taking the form of axially symmetric localised lumps and delta-functions. We present numerical results for vortices on flat space, as well as exact results for vortices on hyperbolic space in the presence of delta-function impurities. In fact, delta-function impurities of appropriate strength can be captured within the moduli space approximation by keeping one or more of the vortices fixed. We also show that previous work on vortices on the 2-sphere extends naturally to the inclusion of delta-function impurities.

One dyonic instanton in 5d maximal SYM theory

We study the one-instanton sector of 5d U(N) maximal SYM theory. By using the moduli space approximation we obtain all the 1/4-BPS bound states of one dyonic instanton when a vev is given to one of the SYM scalar fields that breaks U(N) maximally. We compute the corresponding 1/4-BPS index and partition function and find agreement with arXiv:1110.2175.

Bound States of Monopoles and Dyons with Spin-1/2 Particles in SU(2) Gauge Theory Under Moduli Space Approximation

Energy spectrum and degeneracy associated with bound states of monopoles and dyons in non-Abelian gauge theory has been investigated and it is shown that energy levels expand due to the presence of additional degeneracies. Splitting of energy level of dyonium in presence of external magnetic and electric field has also been analyzed confirming the presence of additional degeneracy levels of the system. In addition, the study of behaviour of a fermion moving in the field of non-Abelian dyon in moduli space under SU(2) gauge potential has been undertaken and energy eigen values for the system are carried out. Detailed analysis of relativistic correction in fermion-dyon system in moduli space is presented and angular momentum operators of the system are derived, which demonstrates that besides the contribution of Higgs field, the interaction of spin and orbital angular momentum of moving fermion also contributes to the energy operator.

Interactions of massless monopole clouds

Some spontaneously broken gauge theories with unbroken non-Abelian gauge groups contain massless magnetic monopoles that are realized classically as clouds of non-Abelian field surrounding one or more massive monopoles. We use moduli space methods to investigate the properties of these massless monopole clouds. We show that the natural metric on the Nahm data for a class of $\mathrm{SU}(2M+2)$ solutions with $2M$ massive and $M(2M\ensuremath{-}1)$ massless monopoles can be obtained from that for a simpler class of $\mathrm{SU}(M+1)$ solutions. For the $M=1$ case, we show that the Nahm data metric is isomorphic to the metric for the moduli of the BPS solutions, thus verifying a previously conjectured result. For $M=2$ we use our results and the moduli space approximation to obtain an effective Lagrangian for an axially symmetric class of solutions. Using this Lagrangian, we study the interactions between the two types of clouds that appear. We show that, although the static spacetime field configurations suggest that the clouds might be rather diffuse, in scattering processes they behave as if they were relatively thin hard shells.

Three-charge supertubes in a rotating black hole background

The low velocity scattering of a D0-F1 supertube in the background of a BMPV black hole has been investigated in the moduli space approximation by Marolf and Virmani. Here we extend the analysis to the case of the D0-D4-F1 supertube of Bena and Kraus. We find that, similarly to the two-charge case, there is a critical value of the supertube circumferential angular momentum; above this value an adiabatic merger with the black hole cannot occur. By reconsidering the calculation of supertube angular momentum in the transverse direction, correspondence between the worldvolume and supergravity descriptions is established. We also examine dynamical mergers and discuss their implications.

DYNAMICS OF DOMAIN WALL NETWORKS

Networks or webs of domain walls are admitted in Abelian or non-Abelian gauge theory coupled to fundamental Higgs fields with complex masses. We examine the dynamics of the domain wall loops by using the moduli space approximation. This talk is based on works in collaboration with M.Eto, T.Fujimori, M.Nitta, K.Ohashi, and N.Sakai1,2.

Universal Reconnection of Non-Abelian Cosmic Strings

We show that local and semilocal strings in Abelian and non-Abelian gauge theories with critical couplings always reconnect classically in collision, by using moduli space approximation. The moduli matrix formalism explicitly identifies a well-defined set of the vortex moduli parameters. Our analysis of generic geodesic motion in terms of those shows right-angle scattering in head-on collision of two vortices, which is known to give the reconnection of the strings.

Neutrino dark energy and moduli stabilization in a BPS braneworld scenario

A braneworld model for neutrino Dark Energy (DE) is presented. We consider a five dimensional two-branes set up with a bulk scalar field motivated by supergravity. Its low-energy effective theory is derived with a moduli space approximation (MSA). The position of the two branes are parametrized by two scalar degrees of freedom (moduli). After detuning the brane tensions a classical potential for the moduli is generated. This potential is unstable for dS branes and we suggest to consider as a stabilizing contribution the Casimir energy of bulk fields. In particular we add a massive spinor (neutrino) field in the bulk and then evaluate the Casimir contribution of the bulk neutrino with the help of zeta function regularization techniques. We construct an explicit form of the 4D neutrino mass as function of the two moduli. To recover the correct DE scale for the moduli potential the usual cosmological constant fine-tuning is necessary, but, once accepted, this model suggests a stronger connection between DE and neutrino physics.

Numerical solution of the ekpyrotic scenario in the moduli space approximation

A numerical solution to the equations of motion for the ekpyrotic bulk brane scenario in the moduli space approximation is presented. The visible universe brane has positive tension, and we use a potential that goes to zero exponentially at large distance, and also goes to zero at small distance. In the case considered, no bulk brane, visible brane collision occurs in the solution. This property and the general behavior of the solution is qualitatively the same when the visible brane tension is negative, and for many different parameter choices.

Moduli-space approximation for BPS brane worlds

We develop the moduli-space approximation for the low energy regime of Bogomolnyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) branes with a bulk scalar field to obtain an effective four-dimensional action describing the system. An arbitrary BPS potential is used and account is taken of the presence of matter in the branes and small supersymmetry breaking terms. The resulting effective theory is a bi-scalar tensor theory of gravity. In this theory, the scalar degrees of freedom can be stabilized naturally without the introduction of additional mechanisms other than the appropriate BPS potential. We place observational constraints on the shape of the potential and the global configuration of branes.

Slow Schrödinger dynamics of gauged vortices

Multivortex dynamics in Manton's Schrödinger–Chern–Simons variant of the Landau–Ginzburg model of thin superconductors is studied within a moduli space approximation. It is shown that the reduced flow on , the N-vortex moduli space, is Hamiltonian with respect to , the L2 Kähler form on . A purely Hamiltonian discussion of the conserved momenta associated with the Euclidean symmetry of the model is given, and it is shown that the Euclidean action on is not Hamiltonian. It is argued that the N = 3 flow is integrable in the sense of Liouville. Asymptotic formulae for and the reduced Hamiltonian for large intervortex separation are conjectured. Using these, a qualitative analysis of internal 3-vortex dynamics is given and a spectral stability analysis of certain rotating vortex polygons is performed. Comparison is made with the dynamics of classical fluid point vortices and geostrophic vortices.

Boundary inflation in the moduli space approximation

The evolution of slow--roll inflation in a five--dimensional brane world model with two boundary branes and bulk scalar field is studied. Assuming that the inflationary scale is below the brane tension, we can employ the moduli space approximation to study the dynamics of the system. Detuning the brane tension results in a potential for the moduli fields which we show will not support a period of slow--roll inflation. We then study an inflaton field, confined to the positive tension brane, to which the moduli fields are non--minimally coupled. We discuss in detail the two cases of $V(\chi) = {1/2} m^2 \chi^2$ and $V(\chi) = \lambda \chi^4$ and demonstrate that increasing the coupling results in spectra which are further away from scale--invariance and in an increase in the tensor mode production, while entropy perturbations are subdominant. Finally, we point out that the five--dimensional spacetime is unstable during inflation because the negative tension brane collapses.

Cosmological evolution of brane world moduli

We study cosmological consequences of non-constant brane world moduli in five dimensional brane world models with bulk scalars and two boundary branes. We focus on the case where the brane tension is an exponential function of the bulk scalar field, Ub∝exp(αϕ). In the limit α→0, the model reduces to the two-brane model of Randall-Sundrum, whereas larger values of α allow for a less warped bulk geometry. Using the moduli space approximation, we derive the four-dimensional low-energy effective action from a supergravity-inspired five-dimensional theory. For arbitrary values of α, the resulting theory has the form of a bi-scalar-tensor theory. We show that, in order to be consistent with local gravitational observations, α has to be small (less than 10−2) and the separation of the branes must be large. We study the cosmological evolution of the interbrane distance and the bulk scalar field for different matter contents on each branes. Our findings indicate that attractor solutions exist which drive the moduli fields towards values consistent with observations. The efficiency of the attractor mechanism crucially depends on the matter content on each branes. In the five-dimensional description, the attractors correspond to the motion of the negative tension brane towards a bulk singularity, which signals the eventual breakdown of the four-dimensional description and the necessity of a better understanding of the bulk singularity.

Scattering of massless and massive monopoles in anSU(N)theory

We use the moduli space approximation to study the time evolution of magnetically charged configurations in a theory with an SU(N+2) gauge symmetry spontaneously broken to U(1) x SU(N) x U(1). We focus on configurations containing two massive and N-1 massless monopoles. The latter do not appear as distinct objects, but instead coalesce into a cloud of non-Abelian field. We find that at large times the cloud and the massless particles are decoupled, with separately conserved energies. The interaction between them occurs through a scattering process in which the cloud, acting very much like a thin shell, contracts and eventually bounces off the cores of the massive monopoles. The strength of the interaction, as measured, e.g., by the amount of energy transfer, tends to be greatest if the shell is small at the time that it overlaps the massive cores. We also discuss the corresponding behavior for the case of the SU(3) multimonopole solutions studied by Dancer.

Non-BPS Dirac-Born-Infeld solitons

We show that CPn sigma model solitons solve the field equations of a Dirac-Born-Infeld (DBI) action and, furthermore, we prove that the non-BPS soliton/anti-soliton solutions of the sigma model also solve the DBI equations. Using the moduli space approximation we compare the dynamics of the BPS sigma model solitons with that of the associated DBI solitons. We find that for the CP1 case the metric on the moduli space of sigma model solitons is identical to that of the moduli space of DBI solitons, but for CPn with n>1 we show that the two metrics are not equal. We also consider the possibility of similar non-BPS solitons in other DBI theories.

Cyclic monopoles

We study charge k SU(2) BPS monopoles which are symmetric under the cyclic group of order k. Approximate twistor data (spectral curves and Nahm data) is constructed using a new technique based upon a Painlevé analysis of Nahm's equation around a pole. With this data both analytical and numerical approximate ADHMN constructions are performed to study the zeros of the Higgs field and the monopole energy densities. The results describe, via the moduli space approximation, a novel type of low energy k monopole scattering.

SU(N) monopoles and Platonic symmetry

We discuss the ADHMN construction for SU(N) monopoles and show that a particular simplification arises in studying charge N−1 monopoles with minimal symmetry breaking. Using this we construct families of tetrahedrally symmetric SU(4) and SU(5) monopoles. In the moduli space approximation, the SU(4) one-parameter family describes a novel dynamics where the monopoles never separate, but rather, a tetrahedron deforms to its dual. We find a two-parameter family of SU(5) tetrahedral monopoles and compute some geodesics in this submanifold numerically. The dynamics is rich, with the monopoles scattering either once or twice through octahedrally symmetric configurations.