Mechanism of colour charge confinement in the Standard Model/QCD

Determine the physical mechanism responsible for confinement of colour charge in quantum chromodynamics within the Standard Model, assessing proposals such as monopole condensation and dual superconductivity and establishing whether a single mechanism suffices or multiple non-perturbative effects are required.

Background

The book connects particle–soliton dualities and superconductivity-inspired ideas (e.g., dual Meissner effect) to proposed mechanisms for quark confinement in non-abelian gauge theories. ’t Hooft and Mandelstam suggested that monopole condensation might confine electric colour charge through an electric analogue of the Meissner effect.

Despite lattice and supersymmetric evidence, the authors emphasize that a comprehensive explanation of colour confinement in the full Standard Model remains unresolved and may require multiple non-perturbative phenomena beyond a single mechanism.