Geometry and kinematics of two Skyrmions (Q1803540)

The two-Skyrmion dynamics is modelled by motion on a 12-dimensional space of Skyrme fields. This space can be generated by the gradient flow of the potential energy function or by restricting the gradient flow to the Skyrme fields derived from \(SU(2)\) Yang-Mills instantons of charge two. On both of these spaces, after quotienting by the free action of the group \(R^ 2\times SO(3)_{\text{isospin}}\) there remains a 6- dimensional space. It is shown that the global structure of the quotient space is that of complex projective 3-space, with complex conjugate points on one projective plane identified and the real points in this plane removed.