Non-Perturbative Decay of a Monopole: the Semiclassical Pre-Exponential Factor

TL;DR

This paper calculates the decay rate of a monopole into a dyon and fermion in an electric field, providing the first semiclassical prefactor and confirming previous exponential results, with applications to the Thirring model.

Contribution

It introduces the first calculation of the semiclassical pre-exponential factor for monopole decay, extending understanding of non-perturbative decay processes.

Findings

First semiclassical prefactor for monopole decay calculated

Confirmed agreement of exponential decay rate with previous methods

Extended analysis to decay in the Thirring model

Abstract

The rate of the non-perturbative decay of a 't Hooft - Polyakov monopole in an external electric field into a dyon and a charged fermion is calculated. The subleading semiclassical prefactor is presented for the first time for this process. The leading exponential factor is shown to be in full agreement with the previous results derived in a different technique. Analogous treatment is shown to hold for the two-fermionic decay of the lightest bound state in Thirring model, allowing one to restore the "effective meson - fermion vertex".