Einstein metrics on tangent bundles of spheres

We give an elementary treatment of the existence of complete Kahler-Einstein metrics with nonpositive Einstein constant and underlying manifold diffeomorphic to the tangent bundle of the (n+1)-sphere.Comment: 9 page

Representations of the quantum doubles of finite group algebras and solutions of the Yang--Baxter equation

Quantum doubles of finite group algebras form a class of quasi-triangular Hopf algebras which algebraically solve the Yang--Baxter equation. Each representation of the quantum double then gives a matrix solution of the Yang--Baxter equation. Such solutions do not depend on a spectral parameter, and to date there has been little investigation into extending these solutions such that they do depend on a spectral parameter. Here we first explicitly construct the matrix elements of the generators for all irreducible representations of quantum doubles of the dihedral groups $D_n$. These results may be used to determine constant solutions of the Yang--Baxter equation. We then discuss Baxterisation ans\"atze to obtain solutions of the Yang--Baxter equation with spectral parameter and give several examples, including a new 21-vertex model. We also describe this approach in terms of minimal-dimensional representations of the quantum doubles of the alternating group $A_4$ and the symmetric group $S_4$.Comment: 19 pages, no figures, changed introduction, added reference

Singular Monopoles and Supersymmetric Gauge Theories in Three Dimensions

According to the proposal of Hanany and Witten, Coulomb branches of N=4 SU(n) gauge theories in three dimensions are isometric to moduli spaces of BPS monopoles. We generalize this proposal to gauge theories with matter, which allows us to describe the metrics on their spaces of vacua by means of the hyperk\"ahler quotient construction. To check the identification of moduli spaces a comparison is made with field theory predictions. For SU(2) theory with k fundamental hypermultiplets the Coulomb branch is expected to be the D_k ALF gravitational instanton, so our results lead to a construction of such spaces. In the special case of SU(2) theory with four or fewer fundamental hypermultiplets we calculate the complex structures on the moduli spaces and compare them with field-theoretical results. We also discuss some puzzles with brane realizations of three-dimensional N=4 theories.Comment: 26 pages, LaTeX, 6 figures; exposition improve

SU(3) monopoles and their fields

Some aspects of the fields of charge two SU(3) monopoles with minimal symmetry breaking are discussed. A certain class of solutions look like SU(2) monopoles embedded in SU(3) with a transition region or ``cloud'' surrounding the monopoles. For large cloud size the relative moduli space metric splits as a direct product AH\times R^4 where AH is the Atiyah-Hitchin metric for SU(2) monopoles and R^4 has the flat metric. Thus the cloud is parametrised by R^4 which corresponds to its radius and SO(3) orientation. We solve for the long-range fields in this region, and examine the energy density and rotational moments of inertia. The moduli space metric for these monopoles, given by Dancer, is also expressed in a more explicit form.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, latex, version appearing in Phys. Rev.

Generalised Perk--Schultz models: solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation associated with quantised orthosymplectic superalgebras

The Perk--Schultz model may be expressed in terms of the solution of the Yang--Baxter equation associated with the fundamental representation of the untwisted affine extension of the general linear quantum superalgebra $U_q[sl(m|n)]$, with a multiparametric co-product action as given by Reshetikhin. Here we present analogous explicit expressions for solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation associated with the fundamental representations of the twisted and untwisted affine extensions of the orthosymplectic quantum superalgebras $U_q[osp(m|n)]$. In this manner we obtain generalisations of the Perk--Schultz model.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Properties of non-BPS SU(3) monopoles

This paper is concerned with magnetic monopole solutions of SU(3) Yang-Mills-Higgs system beyond the Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield limit. The different SU(2) embeddings, which correspond to the fundamental monopoles, as well the embedding along composite root are studied. The interaction of two different fundamental monopoles is considered. Dissolution of a single fundamental non-BPS SU(3) monopole in the limit of the minimal symmetry breaking is analysed.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures. Typos corrected, reference added. Final version published in Physica Script