Localization of gauge fields and monopole tunnelling

G. Dvali, H. B. Nielsen, N. Tetradis

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    We study the dynamical localization of a massless gauge field on a lower-dimensional surface (2-brane). In flat space, the necessary and sufficient condition for this phenomenon is the existence of confinement in the bulk. The resulting configuration is equivalent to a dual Josephson junction. This duality leads to an interesting puzzle, as it implies that a localized massless theory, even in the Abelian case, must become confining at exponentially large distances. Through the use of topological arguments we clarify the physics behind this large-distance confinement and identify the instantons of the brane world-volume theory that are responsible for its appearance. We show that they correspond to the (condensed) bulk magnetic charges (monopoles), that occasionally tunnel through the brane and induce weak confinement of the brane theory. We consider the possible generalization of this effect to higher dimensions and discuss phenomenological bounds on the confinement of electric charges at exponentially large distances within our Universe.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Article number085005
    JournalPhysical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
    Volume77
    Issue number8
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Apr 7 2008

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Nuclear and High Energy Physics
    • Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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