Sphalerons of O(3) Nonlinear Sigma Model on a Circle

Abstract
A series of saddle point solutions of O(3) nonlinear sigma model with symmetry breaking term in 1+1 dimensions are obtained by imposing boundary condition either periodic or partially antiperiodic (O(3) sphalerons on a circle). Under the periodic boundary condition, classical features of the O(3) sphalerons are similar to scalar sphalerons of φ4 model on a circle by Manton and Samols. Under the partially antiperiodic boundary condition, the lowest of the O(3) sphalerons coincides in the limit of infinite spatial domain with the O(3) sphaleron by Mottola and Wipf. In particular, zero and negative modes of them are examined in detail. An estimate of transition rate over the lowest O(3) sphaleron at finite temperature is made, and some remarks on simulating the transition on a lattice are given. A correspondence between these O(3) sphalerons on a circle and a series of (possible) classical solutions of SU(2) gauge-Higgs model, to which the electroweak sphaleron S and new sphaleron S* belong, is discussed.

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