A Study of Topological Defects in Gauge Field Theories

Abstract

Topological defects — remnants of the early universe — are produced during the spontaneous symmetry breaking of a gauge field theory. These relics have a significant role in explaining many cosmic phenomena. Magnetic monopoles are, in particular, intriguing as they preserve electromagnetic symmetry. The mass and structure of monopoles are model-dependent factors, varying from grand unified scale to electroweak scale. Therefore, we will try to develop thorough understanding of the magnetic monopoles starting from Dirac’s prediction to considering them as topological solitons. Afterwards, we will discuss different theories that provide an insight into monopoles of TeV range; they can be detected through the current energy range colliders and help to verify the complete correctness of the standard model. While the discov ery of these particles remains elusive, we will still look into experimental bounds that are placed on their flux, masses, and charges. The existence of monopoles cannot be ruled out, as there are systems in which they appear as emergent particles. So, we will try to shed some light on these condensed matter systems. However, the prediction of monopoles in the standard model poses a problem as they don’t remain topologically stable during the elec troweak symmetry breaking. Hence, our prime focus in this manuscript is to achieve homotopically stable, finite-energy light monopoles for their immense importance