A CONDENSATE SOLUTION OF THE ELECTROWEAK THEORY WHICH INTERPOLATES BETWEEN THE BROKEN AND THE SYMMETRIC PHASE

We discuss a magnetic type solution of the classical electroweak equations with the property that for fields larger than mw2/e a W- and Z-condensate is formed. When the average magnetic field reaches the value mw2/e cos2 θ, the SU(2) × y(1) symmetry is restored. We compare to the finite temperature case. It is mentioned that large magnetic fields of order mw2/e (realized e.g. near the superconducting cosmic string) can actually be achieved in earth-bound laboratories as the field surrounding quarks in e.g. proton-proton collisions with more than 1 TeV energy. However, we do not know if the field lasts long enough to produce a W-Z plasma. © 1990.