2001/12/21 by H. Reinhardt, Hugo Reinhardt · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Center (category theory) #Classical mechanics #Combinatorics #Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies #Invariant (physics) #Loop (graph theory) #Magnetic confinement fusion research #Magnetic field #Magnetic flux #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Mechanics #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum mechanics #Topological quantum number #Topology (electrical circuits) #Vortex #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/s0550-3213(02)00130-x
published as Nucl.Phys. B628 (2002) 133-166 · 48 pages, 11 figures
arxiv created 2001/12/21 · openalex publication_date 2002/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The topology of center vortices is studied. For this purpose it is sufficient to consider mathematically idealised vortices, defined in a gauge invariant way as closed (infinitely thin) flux surfaces (in D=4 dimensions) which contribute the n'th power of a non-trivial center element to Wilson loops when they are n-foldly linked to the latter. In ordinary 3-space generic center vortices represent closed magnetic flux loops which evolve in time. I show that the topological charge of such a time-dependent vortex loop can be entirely expressed by the temporal changes of its writhing number.