TOPOLOGICAL CHERN-SIMONS VORTICES IN THE O(3) SIGMA-MODEL

We present a classical, gauged O(3) sigma-model with an Abelian Chern- Simons term. It shows topologically stable, anyonic vortices as soluti ons. The fields are studied in the case of rotational symmetry and ana lytic approximations are found for their asymptotic behaviour. The sta tic Euler-Lagrange equations are solved numerically, where particular attention is paid to the dependence of the vortex' properties on the c oupling to the gauge field. We compute the vortex mass and charge as a function of this coupling and obtain bound states for two-vortices as well as two-vortices with masses above the stability threshold.