SU(3) magnetic monopoles

Abstract

We obtain the simplest examples of monopole solutions in an SU(3) gauge theory, corresponding to the generators of the homotopy groups ${\ensuremath{\pi}}_{2}(\frac{G}{H})$. These monopoles are characterized either by two Abelian magnetic charges when the residual symmetry group $H$ is U(1) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} U(1) or by combined Abelian and non-Abelian magnetic charges when the residual symmetry group is U(2). The magnetic charges do not always satisfy the Dirac quantization condition, but do satisfy a generalized "quantization" condition.