Domain Walls in QCD
Abstract
QCD was shown to have a nontrivial vacuum structure due to the topology of the theta=theta+2*pi*n parameter. As a result of this nontrivial topology, quasi-stable QCD domain walls appear characterized by a transition in the singlet eta-prime field. We discuss the physics of these QCD domain walls and we present a new type of axion wall which also contains an eta-prime transition. We argue that QCD domain walls, though classically stable, are unstable on the quantum level due to tunneling. Their lifetime is short enough that no cosmic QCD domain walls remain today, however, it is long enough that QCD domain walls could play an important role in the evolution of the early universe. They may also be detectable in energetic collisions such as those at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC).Keywords
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