Abstract
The classical sine-Gordon model permits integrable discontinuities, or jump-defects, where the conditions relating the fields on either side of a defect are Backlund transformations frozen at the defect location. The purpose of this article is to explore the extent to which this idea may be extended to the quantum sine-Gordon model and how the striking features of the classical model may translate to the quantum version. Assuming a positive defect parameter there are two types of defect. One type, carrying even charge, is stable, but the other type, carrying odd charge, is unstable and may be considered as a resonant bound state of a soliton and a stable defect. The scattering of solitons with defects is considered in detail, as is the scattering of breathers, and in all cases the jump-defect is purely transmitting. One surprising discovery concerns the lightest breather. Its transmission factor is independent of the bulk coupling - a property susceptible to a perturbative check, but not shared with any of the other breathers. It is argued that classical jump-defects can move and some comments are made concerning their quantum scattering matrix.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 023 |
| Pages (from-to) | - |
| Number of pages | 35 |
| Journal | Journal of High Energy Physics |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2005 |
Keywords
- solitons monopoles and instantons
- field theories in lower dimensions
- integrable field theories
- exact S-matrix
- BOUNDARY S-MATRIX
- FIELD-THEORIES
- STATISTICAL-MODELS
- STATES
- LINE
- SCATTERING
- PARTICLES
- IMPURITY
- EQUATION
- SOLITON