SO(10) Cosmic Strings and SU(3) Color Cheshire Charge

Certain cosmic strings that occur in GUT models such as $SO(10)$ can carry a magnetic flux which acts nontrivially on objects carrying $SU(3)_{color}$ quantum numbers. We show that such strings are non-Abelian Alice strings carrying nonlocalizable colored ``Cheshire" charge. We examine claims made in the literature that $SO(10)$ strings can have a long-range, topological Aharonov-Bohm interaction that turns quarks into leptons, and observe that such a process is impossible. We also discuss flux-flux scattering using a multi-sheeted formalism.Comment: 37 Pages, 8 Figures (available upon request) phyzzx, iassns-hep-93-6, itp-sb-93-6

Proton Decay and Related Processes in Unified Models with Gauged Baryon Number:

In unification models based on SU(15) or SU(16), baryon number is part of the gauge symmetry, broken spontaneously. In such models, we discuss various scenarios of important baryon number violating processes like proton decay and neutron-antineutron oscillation. Our analysis depends on the effective operator method, and covers many variations of symmetry breaking, including different intermediate groups and different Higgs boson content. We discuss processes mediated by gauge bosons and Higgs bosons parallely. We show how accidental global or discrete symmetries present in the full gauge invariant Lagrangian restrict baryon number violating processes in these models. In all cases, we find that baryon number violating interactions are sufficiently suppressed to allow grand unification at energies much lower than the usual $10^{16}$ GeV.Comment: (32 pages LATEX) [DOE-ER\,40757-022, CPP-93-22] {Small changes made and two references added. This version will appear in Phys. Rev. D

Hacking the quantum revolution: 1925–1975

I argue that the quantum revolution should be seen as an Ian Hacking type of scientific revolution: a profound, longue durée, multidisciplinary process of transforming our understanding of physical nature, with deep-rooted social components from the start. The “revolution” exhibits a characteristic style of reasoning – the hierarchization of physical nature – and developed and uses a specific language – quantum field theory (QFT). It is by virtue of that language that the quantum theory has achieved some of its deepest insights into the description of the dynamics of the physical world. However, the meaning of what a quantum field theory is and what it describes has deeply altered, and one now speaks of “effective” quantum field theories. Interpreting all present day quantum field theories as but “effective” field theories sheds additional light on Phillip Anderson’s assertion that “More is different”. This important element is addressed in the last part of the paper