We describe the kink solitary waves of a massive non-linear sigma model with an ${mathbb S}^2$ sphere as the target manifold. Our solutions form a moduli space of non-relativistic solitary waves in the long wavelength limit of ferromagnetic linear spin chains.
The stability of the kinks of the non-linear ${mathbb S}^2$-sigma model discovered in Phys. Rev. Lett. 101(2008)131602 is discussed from several points of view. After a direct estimation of the spectra of the second-order fluctuation operators around topological kinks, first-order field equations are proposed to distinguish between BPS and non-BPS kinks. The one-loop mass shifts caused by quantum fluctuations around the topological kinks are computed using the Cahill-Comtet-Glauber formula proposed in Phys. Lett. 64B(1976)283. The (lack of) stability of the non-topological kinks is unveiled by application of the Morse index theorem. These kinks are identified as non-BPS states and the interplay between instability and supersymmetry is explored.
In this paper, we investigate tree-level scattering amplitude relations in $U(N)$ non-linear sigma model. We use Cayley parametrization. As was shown in the recent works [23,24] both on-shell amplitudes and off-shell currents with odd points have to vanish under Cayley parametrization. We prove the off-shell $U(1)$ identity and fundamental BCJ relation for even-point currents. By taking the on-shell limits of the off-shell relations, we show that the color-ordered tree amplitudes with even points satisfy $U(1)$-decoupling identity and fundamental BCJ relation, which have the same formations within Yang-Mills theory. We further state that all the on-shell general KK, BCJ relations as well as the minimal-basis expansion are also satisfied by color-ordered tree amplitudes. As a consequence of the relations among color-ordered amplitudes, the total $2m$-point tree amplitudes satisfy DDM form of color decomposition as well as KLT relation.
We study non-local non-linear sigma models in arbitrary dimension, focusing on the scale invariant limit in which the scalar fields naturally have scaling dimension zero, so that the free propagator is logarithmic. The classical action is a bi-local integral of the square of the arc length between points on the target manifold. One-loop divergences can be canceled by introducing an additional bi-local term in the action, proportional to the target space laplacian of the square of the arc length. The metric renormalization that one encounters in the two-derivative non-linear sigma model is absent in the non-local case. In our analysis, the target space manifold is assumed to be smooth and Archimedean; however, the base space may be either Archimedean or ultrametric. We comment on the relation to higher derivative non-linear sigma models and speculate on a possible application to the dynamics of M2-branes.
We have introduced Faddeev-Niemi type variables for static SU(3) Yang-Mills theory. The variables suggest that a non-linear sigma model whose sigma fields take values in SU(3)/(U(1)xU(1)) and SU(3)/(SU(2)xU(1)) may be relevant to infrared limit of the theory. Shabanov showed that the energy functional of the non-linear sigma model is bounded from below by certain functional. However, the Shabanovs functional is not homotopy invariant, and its value can be an arbitrary real number -- therefore it is not a topological charge. Since the third homotopy group of SU(3)/(U(1)xU(1)) is isomorphic to the group of integer numbers, there is a non-trivial topological charge (given by the isomorphism). We apply Novikovs procedure to obtain integral expression for this charge. The resulting formula is analogous to the Whiteheads realization of the Hopf invariant.
The renormalization procedure of the non-linear SU(2) sigma model in D=4 proposed in hep-th/0504023 and hep-th/0506220 is here tested in a truly non-trivial case where the non-linearity of the functional equation is crucial. The simplest example, where the non-linear term contributes, is given by the two-loop amplitude involving the insertion of two phi_0 (the constraint of the non-linear sigma model) and two flat connections. In this case we verify the validity of the renormalization procedure: the recursive subtraction of the pole parts at D=4 yields amplitudes that satisfy the defining functional equation. As a by-product we give a formal proof that in D dimensions (without counterterms) the Feynman rules provide a perturbative symmetric solution.