A Skyrme-type proposal for baryonic matter

• Published in: Physics letters. B Vol. 691; no. 2; pp. 105 - 110
• Main Authors: Adam, C., Sánchez-Guillén, J., Wereszczyński, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 19.07.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bogomolny bound; Effective field theory; Exact sciences and technology; Nuclear physics; Nuclei; Physics; Skyrmions; The physics of elementary particles and fields; Nuclei; Effective field theory; Bogomolny bound; Skyrmions; Effective field approximation; Topological charges; Skyrme model; Nuclear mass; Effective action; Baryon number; Solitons; Standard model; Baryons; Droplet model; Quantum chromodynamics; Exact solution
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2010.06.025

The Skyrme model is a low-energy effective field theory for QCD, where the baryons emerge as soliton solutions. It is, however, not so easy within the standard Skyrme model to reproduce the almost exact linear growth of the nuclear masses with the baryon number (topological charge), due to the lack of Bogomolny solutions in this model, which has also hindered analytical progress. Here we identify a submodel within the Skyrme-type low-energy effective action which does have a Bogomolny bound and exact Bogomolny solutions, and therefore, at least at the classical level, reproduces the nuclear masses by construction. Due to its high symmetry, this model qualitatively reproduces the main features of the liquid droplet model of nuclei. Finally, we discuss under which circumstances the proposed sextic term, which is of an essentially geometric and topological nature, can be expected to give a reasonable description of properties of nuclei.