1995/07/31 by Fay Dowker, Jerome Gauntlett, Jerome P. Gauntlett +4 · 6 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Classical mechanics #Compactification (mathematics) #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Extra dimensions #False vacuum #Generalization #Instanton #Kaluza–Klein theory #Magnetic monopole #Mathematical analysis #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Minkowski space #Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories #Physics #Pure mathematics #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #Space (punctuation) #Theoretical physics #gr-qc #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.52.6929
published as Phys.Rev.D52:6929-6940,1995 · 25 pages, one figure. The discussion of fermions has been revised: We show how fundamental fermions can eliminate the bubble-type instability but still allow pair creation of monopoles
arxiv created 1995/09/19 · openalex publication_date 1995/12/15 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Magnetic fields in five-dimensional Kaluza-Klein theory compactified on a circle correspond to ``twisted'' identifications of five-dimensional Minkowski space. We show that a five-dimensional generalization of the Kerr solution can be analytically continued to construct an instanton that gives rise to two possible decay modes of a magnetic field. One decay mode is the generalization of the ``bubble decay'' of the Kaluza-Klein vacuum described by Witten. The other decay mode, rarer for weak fields, corresponds in four dimensions to the creation of monopole-antimonopole pairs. An instanton for the latter process is already known and is given by the analytic continuation of the Kaluza-Klein Ernst metric, which we show is identical to the five-dimensional Kerr solution. We use this fact to illuminate further properties of the decay process. It appears that fundamental fermions can eliminate the bubble decay of the magnetic field, while allowing the pair produciton of Kaluza-Klein monopoles. \textcopyright 1995 The American Physical Society.