19

I am aware that in theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking, Magnetic Monopoles can exist as topological solitons. Can the same be done with the Standard Model gauge group. I am familiar with the contents of 't Hooft's paper Magnetic Monopoles in Unified Gauge theories. But the analysis in that paper is done for the $\operatorname{SO}(3)$ gauge group.

Is there a similar analysis for the standard model gauge group? Does the discovery of Higgs particle imply the existence of magnetic monopoles as topological solitons, and magnetic charge being treated as a topological charge?

Qmechanic
  • 220,844
Prathyush
  • 2,052

1 Answers1

7

No, I believe the Standard Model does not predict monopoles as a result of symmetry breaking. This is because the symmetry breaking $\mathrm{SU(2)} \times \mathrm{U(1)} \rightarrow \mathrm{U(1)}$ does not allow for topological solitons to exist.

Edit: $\pi_2(\mathrm{SU(2)} \times \mathrm{U(1)}/\mathrm{U(1))}=\pi_2(S^3)=0$

Source: To be or not to be? Magnetic monopoles in non-abelian gauge theories by F. Alexander Bais

Hunter
  • 5,328