Adiabatic approximation of Abelian Higgs models

Abstract

We construct novel solutions in $d\ge 3$ space dimensions of a family of nonlinear evolutions equations that includes the critical hyperbolic Abelian Higgs model (AHM). For the AHM, these solutions exhibit an ensemble of $N\ge 1$ slowly-moving, nearly parallel vortex filaments, whose leading-order dynamics are described by a wave map from ${\mathbb R}^{d-2}$ into the Abelian Higgs moduli space, a manifold carrying a natural Riemannian structure that parametrizes stationary 2d solutions of the AHM. We also prove extremely similar results that relate the critical Abelian Higgs heat flow, modeling certain superconductors, to the harmonic map heat flow into the Moduli space, as well as some parallel results for near-critical equations. When $d=3$, these results allow for the study of the poorly-understood phenomenon of vortex reconnection in this setting.