Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking Without Scalar Mesons

Abstract

By combining the ideas of Nambu in his study of superconductivity and of Johnson, Baker, and Willey in their approach to electrodynamics we construct a gauge theory of spontaneous symmetry breaking which is free of elementary spin-zero fields. The theory contains two fermions and two vector mesons, one of which acquires a mass via the Higgs mechanism. A formula for this vector-meson mass is derived which becomes exact, and nonzero, in the limit as the strength of interaction is appropriately scaled to zero. The vacuum energy is also discussed.