Baby Skyrmions stabilized by vector mesons

Abstract

Recent results suggest that multi-Skyrmions stabilized by $\ensuremath{\omega}$ mesons have very similar properties to those stabilized by the Skyrme term. In this paper we present the results of a detailed numerical investigation of a $(2+1)$-dimensional analogue of this situation. Namely, we compute solitons in an $O(3)$ $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ model coupled to a massive vector meson and compare the results to baby Skyrmions, which are solitons in an $O(3)$ $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ model including a Skyrme term. We find that multisolitons in the vector meson model are surprisingly similar to those in the baby Skyrme model, and we explain this correspondence using a simple derivative expansion.