Abstract
Some topological aspects of gauge theories are reviewed with an emphasis on physical intuition rather than mathematical rigor. Magnetic fluxtubes of various sorts (including those with nonabelian flux quantum numbers) are discussed. The basic features of magnetic monopoles in gauge theories are summarized. Besides the standard ’t Hooft-Polyakov-monopole we discuss their classification for the general group G, and their fate after crossing a phase boundary. We conclude with a brief look at instantons.
Keywords
- Gauge Theory
- Gauge Field
- Magnetic Charge
- Topological Charge
- Homotopy Group
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References
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Bais, F.A. (1982). Topological excitations in gauge theories; An introduction from the physical point of view. In: Martini, R., de Jager, E.M. (eds) Geometric Techniques in Gauge Theories. Lecture Notes in Mathematics, vol 926. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0092659
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0092659
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