Vortex stability in pseudo-Hermitian theories

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Battye, R. A., Cotterill, S. J., Millington, P.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866911273933864960
author Battye, R. A.
Cotterill, S. J.
Millington, P.
author_facet Battye, R. A.
Cotterill, S. J.
Millington, P.
contents Pseudo-Hermitian (including $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric) field theories support phenomenology that cannot be replicated in standard Hermitian theories. We describe a concrete example in which the vortex solutions that are realised in a prototypical pseudo-Hermitian field theory exhibit a novel metastability, despite the model parameters residing within the naively stable regime of exact antilinear symmetry of the vacuum theory. This instability is identified analytically and confirmed through numerical simulations, and it arises from the small breaking of the underlying antilinear symmetry of the pseudo-Hermitian theory due to the presence of the topological defect. This leads to spacetime-dependent parameters in the equations of motion governing fluctuations around the vortex, inducing non-trivial exceptional-point structures and complex frequencies within their spectrum. Aside from offering intriguing possibilities for cosmology, this result serves to illustrate the ability to produce long-lived metastable configurations in pseudo-Hermitian field theories of relevance beyond cosmology and high energy physics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_14300
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Vortex stability in pseudo-Hermitian theories
Battye, R. A.
Cotterill, S. J.
Millington, P.
High Energy Physics - Theory
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
Pseudo-Hermitian (including $\mathcal{PT}$-symmetric) field theories support phenomenology that cannot be replicated in standard Hermitian theories. We describe a concrete example in which the vortex solutions that are realised in a prototypical pseudo-Hermitian field theory exhibit a novel metastability, despite the model parameters residing within the naively stable regime of exact antilinear symmetry of the vacuum theory. This instability is identified analytically and confirmed through numerical simulations, and it arises from the small breaking of the underlying antilinear symmetry of the pseudo-Hermitian theory due to the presence of the topological defect. This leads to spacetime-dependent parameters in the equations of motion governing fluctuations around the vortex, inducing non-trivial exceptional-point structures and complex frequencies within their spectrum. Aside from offering intriguing possibilities for cosmology, this result serves to illustrate the ability to produce long-lived metastable configurations in pseudo-Hermitian field theories of relevance beyond cosmology and high energy physics.
title Vortex stability in pseudo-Hermitian theories
topic High Energy Physics - Theory
High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.14300