Self-dual gauge field vortices. An analytical approach (Q857442)

This monograph is devoted to a mathematical study of selfdual gauge theories using critical point theory and some analytical and topological techniques. The first chapter introduces the reader to gauge theories, starting with the simpler abelian case, in particular the Maxwell-Higgs model, and some Chern-Simons, Maxwell-Chern-Simons-Higgs models. Continuing with nonabelian situations, the author describes the Yang-Mills, Yang-Mills-Higgs, nonabelian Chern-Simons models, and Glashow-Salam-Weinberg electroweak theory. It is shown how to attain selfduality in those theories. A common equation of those selfdual models can be seen as a gauge-invariant version of the Cauchy-Riemann equation, formulated in Chapter 2 in terms of elliptic problems of Liouville-type, following Taubes' approach and using critical point theory. The existence of planar selfdual Chern-Simons vortices is considered in Chapter 3, which consists in finding solutions in the plane of some semilinear elliptic equations with exponential nonlinearities and forcing term involving Dirac masses at a finite number of preassigned vortex points. Depending upon the condition at infinity, the solutions are called topological or non-topological, and their existence and uniqueness is considered. Chapter 4 is devoted to the study of periodic Chern-Simons vortices, and a rather complete analysis is made for 6th-order Chern-Simons models, with some information on possible generalizations. Both ``topological'' and ``non-topological'' doubly periodic solutions are considered. Chapter 5 then analyzes the asymptotic behavior of sequences of solutions of some equations occuring in the construction of periodic solutions of ``non-topological-type''. Blow-up techniques and concentration-compactness arguments are used in this chapter, leading to a quantization property in the concentration phenomenon. In Chapter 6, the analytical results of the previous chapter are used to study mean fields equations of the Liouville type over a closed Riemann surface. Chapter 7 is devoted to the study of electroweak vortices and strings. The book ends with a substantial bibliography and a useful index. This monograph, dealing in a clear way with some `hot' topics of theoretical physics and geometry, will be of interest both to mathematicians and physicists. The first ones will find beautiful physical applications of modern critical point theory, and the second ones will discover which parts of the theories have received a rigourous mathematial treatment.