Static minimum-energy path from a vacuum to a sphaleron in the Weinberg-Salam model

In the Weinberg-Salam model with vanishing mixing angle θW=0, the static minimum-energy path is obtained within the general spherically symmetric ansatz, which connects a vacuum to the sphaleron of Klinkhamer and Manton. The physical significance of the path is discussed in connection with a possible baryon-number-violating effect at high temperature.