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Quantum-mechanical stability of fermion-soliton systems

DSpace at IIT Bombay

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Title Quantum-mechanical stability of fermion-soliton systems
 
Creator SAHU, N
YAJNIK, UA
 
Subject extended-hadron models
topological defects
field-theory
zero modes
number 1/2
 
Description Topological objects resulting from symmetry breakdown may be either stable or metastable depending on the pattern of symmetry breaking. However, if they acquire zero-energy modes of fermions, and in the process acquire non-integer fermionic charge, the metastable configurations also get stabilized. In the case of Dirac fermions the spectrum of the number operator shifts by 1/2. In the case of Majorana fermions it becomes useful to assign negative values of fermion number to a finite number of states occupying the zero-energy level, constituting a Majorana pond. We determine the parities of these states and prove a superselection rule. Thus decay of objects with half-integer fermion number is not possible in isolation or by scattering with ordinary particles. The result has important bearing on cosmology as well as condensed matter physics. (C) 2004
 
Publisher ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
 
Date 2011-07-26T13:01:04Z
2011-12-26T12:54:28Z
2011-12-27T05:42:24Z
2011-07-26T13:01:04Z
2011-12-26T12:54:28Z
2011-12-27T05:42:24Z
2004
 
Type Article
 
Identifier PHYSICS LETTERS B, 596(1-2), 1-7
0370-2693
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2004.04.090
http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10054/6910
http://hdl.handle.net/10054/6910
 
Language en