Static Hopfions in the extended Skyrme-Faddeev model

We construct static soliton solutions with non-zero Hopf topological charges to a theory which is an extension of the Skyrme-Faddeev model by the addition of a further quartic term in derivatives. We use an axially symmetric ansatz based on toroidal coordinates, and solve the resulting two coupled non-linear partial differential equations in two variables by a successive over-relaxation (SOR) method. We construct numerical solutions with Hopf charge up to four, and calculate their analytical behavior in some limiting cases. The solutions present an interesting behavior under the changes of a special combination of the coupling constants of the quartic terms. Their energies and sizes tend to zero as that combination approaches a particular special value. We calculate the equivalent of the Vakulenko and Kapitanskii energy bound for the theory and find that it vanishes at that same special value of the coupling constants. In addition, the model presents an integrable sector with an infinite number of local conserved currents which apparently are not related to symmetries of the action. In the intersection of those two special sectors the theory possesses exact vortex solutions (static and time dependent) which were constructed in a previous paper by one of the authors. It is believed that such model describes some aspects of the low energy limit of the pure SU(2) Yang-Mills theory, and our results may be important in identifying important structures in that strong coupling regime.Comment: 22 pages, 42 figures, minor correction

Nonlinear sigma models solvable by the Aratyn-Ferreira-Zimerman ansatz

Nonlinear sigma models compatible with the aratyn-Ferreira-Zimerman ansatz are discussed, the latter ansatz automatically leading to configurations with definite values of the Hopf index. These models are allowed to involve a weight factor which is a function of one of the toroidal coordinates. Depending on the choice of the weight factor, the field equation takes various forms. In one model with a special weight factor, the field equation turns out to be the fifth Painleve equation. This model suggests the existence of a knot soliton strictly confined in a finite spatial volume. Some other interesting cases are also discussed.Comment: 19 pages. Two column style is changed to preprint styl