Abstract
Q-balls are non-topological solitons in field theories whose stability is typically guaranteed by the existence of a global conserved charge. A classic realization is the Friedberg-Lee-Sirlin (FLS) Q-ball in a two-scalar system where a real scalar χ triggers symmetry breaking and confines a complex scalar Φ with a global U(1) symmetry. A quartic interaction κχ2|Φ|2 with κ > 0 is usually considered to produce a nontrivial Q-ball configuration, and this repulsive force contributes to its stability. On the other hand, the attractive cubic interaction Λχ|Φ|2 is generally allowed in a renormalizable theory and could induce an instability. In this paper, we study the behavior of the Q-ball under the influence of this attractive force which has been overlooked. We find approximate Q-ball solutions in the limit of weak and moderate force couplings using the thin-wall and thick-wall approximations respectively. Our analytical results are consistent with numerical simulations and predict the parameter dependencies of the maximum charge. A crucial difference with the ordinary FLS Q-ball is the existence of the maximum charge beyond which the Q-ball solution is classically unstable. Such a limitation of the charge fundamentally affects Q-ball formation in the early Universe and could plausibly lead to the formation of primordial black holes.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Pyungwon Ko for many helpful discussions. The work of K.K. is supported by KIAS Individual Grants, Grant No. 090901. P.L. was supported by Grant Korea NRF2019R1C1C1010050 and KIAS Individual Grant 6G097701. T.H.K. is supported by a KIAS Individual Grant PG095201 at Korea Institute for Advanced Study. This work is also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC 2121 Quantum Universe – 390833306.
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Hamada, Y., Kawana, K., Kim, T. et al. Q-balls in the presence of attractive force. J. High Energ. Phys. 2024, 242 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2024)242
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP08(2024)242