Partially Dual variables in SU(2) Yang-Mills Theory

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new variable reformulation of SU(2) Yang-Mills theory that captures its infrared behavior and reveals stable knotlike solitons, providing a dual perspective on the theory's short and long-distance regimes.

Contribution

It presents a novel variable framework for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory that highlights knotlike solitons and dual descriptions of its infrared and ultraviolet limits.

Findings

Identification of knotlike solitons as stable configurations

Dual picture showing asymptotic freedom at short distances

Extended, massive solitons at large distances

Abstract

We propose a reformulation of SU(2) Yang-Mills theory in terms of new variables. These variables are appropriate for describing the theory in its infrared limit, and indicate that it admits knotlike configurations as stable solitons. As a consequence we arrive at a dual picture of the Yang-Mills theory where the short distance limit describes asymptotically free, massless point gluons and the large distance limit describes extended, massive knotlike solitons.