Kink scattering in a generalized Wess-Zumino model

TL;DR

This paper explores how the arrangement of vacua in a generalized Wess-Zumino model affects kink scattering, revealing new scattering behaviors, resonance phenomena, and the emergence of different BPS kinks.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of kink scattering in a generalized Wess-Zumino model with variable vacuum configurations, identifying new scattering channels and resonance effects.

Findings

Two scattering channels: reflection and hybridization.

Resonance phenomena enable kink splitting.

Emergence of a third kink in certain collisions.

Abstract

In this paper, kink scattering in the dimensional reduction of the bosonic sector of a one-parameter family of generalized Wess-Zumino models with three vacuum points is discussed. The value of the model parameter determines the specific location of the vacua. The influence of the vacuum arrangements (evolving from three collinear vacua to three vacua placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle) on the kink scattering is investigated. Two different regimes can be distinguished: in the first one, two symmetric BPS kinks/antikinks arise whereas in the second one a new different BPS kink/antikink emerges, with the exception of a three-fold rotational symmetry case, where the three topological defects are identical. The scattering between the two symmetric kinks is thoroughly analyzed. Two different scattering channels have been found: kink-kink reflection and kink-kink hybridization. In the last case, the collision between the two symmetric kinks gives rise to the third different kink. Resonance phenomena also appear allowing a vibrating kink to split into two symmetric kinks moving away.