Searching for Quantum Solitons in a 3+1 Dimensional Chiral Yukawa Model

Abstract

We search for static solitons stabilized by heavy fermions in a 3+1 dimensional Yukawa model. We compute the renormalized energy functional, including the exact one-loop quantum corrections, and perform a variational search for configurations that minimize the energy for a fixed fermion number. We compute the quantum corrections using a phase shift parameterization, in which we renormalize by identifying orders of the Born series with corresponding Feynman diagrams. For higher-order terms in the Born series, we develop a simplified calculational method. When applicable, we use the derivative expansion to check our results. We observe marginally bound configurations at large Yukawa coupling, and discuss their interpretation as soliton solutions subject to general limitations of the model.

Comments: 27 pp., 7 EPS files; email correspondence to jaffe@mit.edu