Geometry of gauged skyrmions (Q6056589)

The Skyrme model was intoduced in [\textit{J. K. Perring} and \textit{T. H. R. Skyrme}, Nuclear Phys. 31, 550--555 (1962; Zbl 0106.20105)]. In this model, baryons are described as topological solitons (skyrmions) and the baryon number is represented as a topological invariant. \textit{N. S. Manton} [Commun. Math. Phys. 111, 469--478 (1987; Zbl 0638.58029)] showed how to formulate the Skyrme model for maps between Riemannian manifolds. In the paper under review the author generalizes Manton's model to the setting of gauge theory. He studies Bogomolny-Prasad-Sommerfield equations (BPS equations) for gauged skyrmions and classifies solutions in the \(U(1)\)- and \(SU(2)\)-gauged case. Unlike ordinary skyrmions which are solutions of BPS equations when constant or isometries, in this case there are solutions which are neither constant nor isometries.