Searching for novel objects in the electroweak theory

Abstract

We explore the Higgs-Gauge configuration space in the standard electroweak theory. We outline a general prescription that uses the non-trivial topology associated with the gauge group of the theory, to find known solutions of the Euclidean classical equations of motion and motivate the existence of novel ones. In Minkowski spacetime we present evidence for the existence of approximate breathers - long-lived, spatially localized, temporally periodic configurations. We consider heavy fermion quantum fluctuations about static Higgs-Gauge configurations, and argue for the existence of stable fermionic solitons. These could resolve the fermion decoupling puzzle in chiral gauge theories. We describe our search for a fermionic soliton within a spherical ansatz, and discuss the quantum corrected sphaleron and the emergence of new barriers suppressing the decay of heavy fermions. Finally, we consider electroweak strings and how they could give rise to stable multi-quark objects.