Skip to main content

All Questions

0 votes
0 answers
100 views

What is the topology of sine-Gordon equation?

In one pdf on solitons, I am finding the following written For the sine-Gordon theory, it is much better to think of $\phi$ as a field modulo $2\pi$, i.e. as a function $\phi: R \rightarrow S_{1}$. ...
Arkaprava Sil's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
110 views

Why are non-perturbative solutions important and how to take them into account?

I am guilty of studying physics with an almost complete focus on the mathematical constructions (together with the motivating physical premisses) and ignoring the semantic physical intuition, which I'...
GaloisFan's user avatar
  • 1,742
1 vote
1 answer
100 views

What are the two different $\mathbb{S}^n$ in the construction of the homotopy group $\pi_n(\mathbb{S}^n)$ that classifies topological defects?

According to Mukhanov's Physical Foundations of Cosmology, Homotopy groups give us a useful unifying description of topological defects. Maps of the $n$-dimensional sphere $\mathbb{S}^n$ into a ...
SRS's user avatar
  • 26.8k
4 votes
1 answer
806 views

How does the $U(1)$ global symmetry break in the gauged $XY$ model?

I'm studying the particle vortex duality, and I'm confused how we're able to say that in the Coulomb phase, the "hidden" $U(1)$ global magnetic symmetry spontaneously breaks. gauged XY model: $\...
pyroscepter's user avatar