Pion crystals hosting topologically stable baryons

Abstract

We construct analytic (3+1)-dimensional inhomogeneous and topologically non-trivial pion systems using chiral perturbation theory. We discuss the effect of isospin asymmetry with vanishing electromagnetic interactions as well as some particular configurations with non-vanishing electromagnetic interactions. The inhomogeneous configurations of the pion fields are characterized by a non-vanishing topological charge that can be identified with baryons surrounded by a cloud of pions. This system supports a topologically protected persistent superflow. When the electromagnetic field is turned on the superflow corresponds to an electromagnetic supercurrent.

Comments: v2: extended discussion and added references; matches published version on Physical Review D