http://arxiv.org/abs/2012.09192
A theory with a global $O(3)$ symmetry broken at a scale $\eta$ admits topological configurations: global monopoles realized by Goldstone fields winding around the core of false vacuum. One may expect them to behave as heavy, big composite objects, difficult to make and therefore mostly harmless. However, after gravity is turned on, as long as Equivalence Principle holds, one finds that the global monopoles have a negative mass, $M \sim – \eta/\sqrt{\lambda}$, where $\lambda$ is the field theory coupling. The negative mass global monopoles could catalyze a flat space instability by the production of global monopole-antimonopole pairs along with normal particles, leading to energy production {\it ab nihilo}. This would lead to a divergent `decay rate’ of the Minkowski vacuum in a theory with unbroken local Poincar\’e symmetry.
N. Kaloper
Fri, 18 Dec 20
48/78
Comments: 15 pages LaTeX, 1 figure