Classical Higgs fields

Abstract: We consider classical gauge theory on a principal bundle P->X in a case of spontaneous symmetry breaking characterized by the reduction of a structure group G of P->X to its closed subgroup H. This reduction is ensured by the existence of global sections of the quotient bundle P/H->X treated as classical Higgs fields. Matter fields with an exact symmetry group H in such gauge theory are considered in the pairs with Higgs fields, and they are represented by sections of a composite bundle Y->P/H->X, where Y->P/H is a fiber bundle associated to a principal bundle P->P/H with a structure group H. A key point is that a composite bundle Y->X is proved to be associated to a principal G-bundle P->X. Therefore, though matter fields possess an exact symmetry group H, their gauge G-invariant theory in the presence of Higgs fields can be developed. Its gauge invariant Lagrangian factorizes through the vertical covariant differential determined by a connection on a principal H-bundle P->P/H. In a case of the Cartan decomposition of a Lie algebra of G, this connection can be expressed in terms of a connection on a principal bundle P->X, i.e., gauge potentials for a group of broken symmetries G.