Axially symmetric solutions for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory

By casting the Yang-Mills-Higgs equations of an SU(2) theory in the form of the Ernst equations of general relativity, it is shown how the known exact solutions of general relativity can be used to give similar solutions for Yang-Mills theory. Thus all the known exact solutions of general relativity with axial symmetry (e.g., the Kerr metric, the Tomimatsu-Sato metric) have Yang-Mills equivalents. In this paper we only examine in detail the Kerr-like solution. It will be seen that this solution has surfaces where the gauge and scalar fields become infinite, which correspond to the infinite redshift surfaces of the normal Ken solution, Unlike the Kerr solution, out solution apparently does not have any intrinsic angular momentum, but rather appears to give the non-Abelian field configuration associated with concentric shells of color charge. Several possible physical consequences of these axial symmetric Yang-Mills field configurations are discussed. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.