Bounding Gauged Skyrmion Masses

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that gauging skyrmions results in their masses being bounded above, unlike ungauged skyrmions whose masses grow with the Skyrme coupling, highlighting a fundamental difference in their mass behavior.

Contribution

It reveals that gauged skyrmion masses are inherently bounded and of the order of monopole masses, regardless of the Skyrme coupling, a novel insight into skyrmion properties.

Findings

Gauged skyrmion masses are bounded above.

Masses are of the order of monopole masses, O(v/g).

Skyrme coupling is not crucial for gauged skyrmion mass limits.

Abstract

Normally, standard (ungauged) skyrmion masses are proportional to the coupling of the Skyrme term needed for stability, and so can grow to infinite magnitude with increasing coupling. In striking contrast, when skyrmions are gauged, their masses are bounded above for any Skyrme coupling, and, instead, are of the order of monopole masses, O(v/g), so that the coupling of the Skyrme term is not very important. This boundedness phenomenon and its implications are investigated.