Phases and Residual Gauge Symmetries of Higgs Models

Abstract

After elimination of the redundant variables, gauge theories may still exhibit symmetries associated with the gauge fields. The role of these residual gauge symmetries is discussed within the Abelian Higgs model and the Georgi-Glashow model. In the different phases of these models, these symmetries are realized differently. The characteristics of emergence and disappearance of the symmetries are studied in detail and the implications for the dynamics in Coulomb, Higgs, and confining phases are discussed.Comment: 30 pages, LaTeX with amsmath macros; updated to include minor corrections in proof; email correspondence to J.W. Negele, [email protected]