Electroweak Vacuum Geometry

TL;DR

This paper explores the geometric structure of the electroweak vacuum in the Weinberg-Salam model, revealing how different metrics influence symmetry breaking and non-perturbative phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces two natural metrics on the vacuum manifold and analyzes their physical implications for the electroweak theory.

Findings

Identification of isotropic and squashed metrics on the vacuum manifold

Insights into the role of geometry in non-perturbative effects

Enhanced understanding of symmetry breaking in the electroweak model

Abstract

We analyse symmetry breaking in the Weinberg-Salam model paying particular attention to the underlying geometry of the theory. In this context we find two natural metrics upon the vacuum manifold: an isotropic metric associated with the scalar sector, and a squashed metric associated with the gauge sector. Physically, the interplay between these metrics gives rise to many of the non-perturbative features of Weinberg-Salam theory.