The Great Wall of the Standard Model
Abstract
The global form of the Standard Model (SM) gauge group, [SU(3)c× SU(2)L× U(1)Y]/Γ, with Γ⊆ℤ6, remains undetermined. For Γ=ℤp, the SM possesses a residual global electric one-form symmetry ℤ6/p. Compactification on the thermal circle yields an ordinary discrete zero-form symmetry whose spontaneous breaking can produce cosmological domain walls. We calculate the temperature-dependent tension and width of the ℤ6/p domain walls below the electroweak scale, which exist for every quotient except Γ=ℤ6, finding that their thickness can reach the kilometer scale around reionization in our benchmarks. These macroscopic thermal interfaces, if produced, would constitute the "Great Walls" of the Standard Model. We develop a phenomenological thermal velocity-dependent one-scale model to follow their network evolution, incorporating temperature-dependent surface tension, inertia, and plasma drag. For sufficiently early formation, our benchmarks give an estimated wall energy fraction of order 10−14 near the onset of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, with further suppression at later times. Uncertainties arise from relating surface free energy to physical wall energy and from late-time plasma evolution and structure formation. Despite their small energy fraction, these walls could probe the global structure of the SM gauge group, motivating dedicated searches for their cosmological signatures.
Related
BibTeX
@misc{bai2026great,
title = {{The Great Wall of the Standard Model}},
author = {Yang Bai and Yiming Yang},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.00461},
eprint = {2610.00461},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.00461},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Great Wall of the Standard Model
AU - Yang Bai
AU - Yiming Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.00461
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.00461
AB - The global form of the Standard Model (SM) gauge group, [SU(3)_c× SU(2)_L× U(1)_Y]/Γ, with Γ⊆ℤ_6, remains undetermined. For Γ=ℤ_p, the SM possesses a residual global electric one-form symmetry ℤ_6/p. Compactification on the thermal circle yields an ordinary discrete zero-form symmetry whose spontaneous breaking can produce cosmological domain walls. We calculate the temperature-dependent tension and width of the ℤ_6/p domain walls below the electroweak scale, which exist for every quotient except Γ=ℤ_6, finding that their thickness can reach the kilometer scale around reionization in our benchmarks. These macroscopic thermal interfaces, if produced, would constitute the "Great Walls" of the Standard Model. We develop a phenomenological thermal velocity-dependent one-scale model to follow their network evolution, incorporating temperature-dependent surface tension, inertia, and plasma drag. For sufficiently early formation, our benchmarks give an estimated wall energy fraction of order 10^−14 near the onset of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, with further suppression at later times. Uncertainties arise from relating surface free energy to physical wall energy and from late-time plasma evolution and structure formation. Despite their small energy fraction, these walls could probe the global structure of the SM gauge group, motivating dedicated searches for their cosmological signatures.
ER -