Topological Solitons

by Nicholas Manton, Paul Sutcliffe

Overview

This book introduces the main examples of topological solitons in classical field theories, discusses the forces between solitons, and surveys in detail both static and dynamic multi-soliton solutions. Kinks in one dimension, lumps and vortices in two dimensions, monopoles and Skyrmions in three dimensions, and instantons in four dimensions are all discussed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521838368
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/10/2004
Series:	Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics
Pages:	506
Product dimensions:	7.17(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Nicholas Manton received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1978. Following postdoctoral positions at the Ecole Normale in Paris, M.I.T. and UC Santa Barbara, he returned to Cambridge and is now Professor of Mathematical Physics in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and currently head of the department's High Energy Physics group. He is a Fellow of St John's College. He introduced and helped develop the method of modelling topological soliton dynamics by geodesic motion on soliton moduli spaces.

Paul Sutcliffe received his PhD from the University of Durham in 1992. Following postdoctoral appointments at Heriot-Watt, Orsay and Cambridge, he moved to the University of Kent, where he is now Reader in Mathematical Physics. For the past five years, he was an EPSRC Advanced Fellow. He has researched widely on topological solitons, especially multi-soliton solutions and soliton dynamics, and has found surprising relations between different kinds of soliton.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Lagrangians and fields; 3. Topology in field theory; 4. Solitons - general theory; 5. Kinks; 6. Lumps and rational maps; 7. Vortices; 8. Monopoles; 9. Skyrmions; 10. Instantons; 11. Saddle points - sphalerons; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'The authors are two of the most prominent in the field and have made many seminal contributions to it.' Contemporary Physics

'The book is self-contained and beautifully written. It should remain for a long period of time as a standard reference for anyone interested in solition theory and its application in physics.' Zentralblatt MATH

'… a unique, up-to-date and authoritative resource for anyone who wants to learn about the latest developments in the field of topological solitons. Moreover, by clearly exhibiting the essential idea of any topic they discuss, the authors have succeeded in writing a book which should teach mathematicians much about physics and physicists much about mathematics. The book is accessible to graduate students in theoretical physics and mathematics and despite the absence of exercises, could be used a s a textbook for an advanced lecture course.' Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde

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