Thermal Monopoles

TL;DR

This paper investigates particles with large charges in gauge theories, revealing their extensive entropy and potential decay mechanisms, supported by string web models and theoretical analysis.

Contribution

It provides evidence that charged particles in certain gauge theories have macroscopic entropy and explores their properties using string web models and theoretical estimates.

Findings

Particles with large charges have extensive ground state entropy.

Mass gap for excitations is comparable to binding energy.

Decay through Hawking radiation is a potential process.

Abstract

Evidence is given that some particles with large charges in gauge theories, including 4d N=4 SU(3) and 5d theories with N=1 supersymmetry, have macroscopic entropy. The ground state entropy is found to be extensive in the charges. The mass gap for excitation is estimated and is of the same order as the binding energy. The question of the decay of excited states through Hawking radiation is raised. The analysis is based on the model of (p,q) string webs and on various other results. The evidence points to an explanation in terms of a string model.