Topological Nucleons: The Skyrme Effective Field Theory for Low-Energy QCD

This talk provides insight into how topological solitons emerge within the framework of nuclear physics. The lack of understanding how the properties of baryons and nuclei arise from first principles in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) has led to the development of various Effective Field Theories (EFTs). Among these, the Skyrme theory successfully describes nucleons as stable topological solitons in the low-energy regime. This model offers a qualitative approach to analyzing nuclear masses, shapes, charge radii, and interactions between nuclei. Furthermore, it provides a framework for studying the behavior of dense nuclear matter and the properties of neutron stars.