The action of the group of bundle-automorphisms on the space of connections and the geometry of gauge theories

Some aspects of the geometry of gauge theories are sketched in this review. We deal essentially with Yang-Mills theory, discussing the structure of the space of gauge orbits and the geometrical interpretation of ghosts and anomalies. Occasionally we deal also with classical gauge theories of gravitation and in particular we study the action of the group of diffeomorphisms on the space of linear connections. Finally we comment on the mathematical interpretation of anomalies in field theories.     

Gauging of chiral bosonized actions

We present bosonic actions which are equivalent to various chiral fermion theories. For the case of one chiral fermion coupled to an abelian gauge field, we present two bosonized actions, one corresponding to regularizing in the vector conserving scheme and the other in the left-right scheme. We then propose an action for the non-abelian bosonization of Weyl fermions which is a WZW action coupled to a fixed curved background. The chiral WZW action is then coupled to non-abelian gauge fields. We derive the anomalies of the axial current (in the vector conserving scheme) and the left-right currents (in the left-right regularization scheme), both for the abelian and non-abelian bosonized actions. The expressions for the anomalies are identical to those derived in the corresponding fermionic theories.     

Dynamical supersymmetry breaking and gauge anomalies

Some aspects of supersymmetric gauge theories and discussed. It is shown that dynamical supersymmetry breaking does not occur in supersymmetric QED in higher dimensions. The cancellation of both local (perturbative) and global (non-perturbative) gauge anomalies are also discussed in supersymmetric gauge theories. We argue that there is no dynamical supersymmetry breaking in higher dimensions in any supersymmetric gauge theories free of gauge anomalies. It is also shown that for supersymmetric gauge theories in higher dimensions with a compact connected simple gauge group, when the local anomaly-free condition is satisfied, there can be at most a possibleZ ₂ global gauge anomaly in extended supersymmetricSO(10) (or spin (10)) gauge theories inD=10 dimensions containing additional Weyl fermions in a spinor representation ofSO(10) (or spin (10)). In four dimensions with local anomaly-free condition satisfied, the only possible global gauge anomalies in supersymmetric gauge theories areZ ₂ global gauge anomalies for extended supersymmetricSP(2N) (N=rank) gauge theories containing additional Weyl fermions in a representation ofSP(2N) with an odd 2nd-order Dynkin index.     

Removal of Chiral Anomalies in Abelian Gauge Theories

It is shown that chiral anomalies can be removed in abelian gauge theories. After a discussion of the two dimensional case where exact solutions are available we study the four dimensional theory. We use perturbation theory, i. e. analyse the triangle Feynman integrals, and determine the general subtraction structure of the gauge current. Then we show that gauges exist for which current conservation holds and the theory is gauge invariant. As far as the generating functional is concerned the anomaly is employed first as gauge fixing condition. After rewriting the interaction in a gauge invariant form the gauge fixing condition can be imposed as usual. In our approach the integration over the gauge group remains trivial.     

From points to gauge fields

We show that several classes of free field theories with local gauge invariance (e.g. the Yang-Mills, Einstein and p-forms linearized actions) can be constructed from classical actions for a finite number of points by applying the BRST quantization initiated by Siegel. We briefly outline the generalization of this construction for strings.     

Some remarks on BRS transformations,anomalies and the cohomology of the Lie algebra of the group of gauge transformations

We show that ghosts in gauge theories can be interpreted as Maurer-Cartan forms in the infinite dimensional group ? of gauge transformations. We examine the cohomology of the Lie algebra of ? and identify the coboundary operator with the BRS operator. We describe the anomalous terms encountered in the renormalization of gauge theories (triangle anomalies) as elements of these cohomology groups.     

Covariant and consistent anomalies in even-dimensional chiral gauge theories

This paper is devoted to various aspects of anomalies in even-dimensional chiral gauge theories. The difference between the covariant and consistent anomalies is carefully explained in terms of their different origins. The consistent current is defined in terms of a gauge-variant effectve action constructed from the covariant current. An alternative scheme is set up where the covariant anomaly is unaltered but the consistent anomaly vanishes because the effective actions is gauge-invariant. A discussion of theories with vector and axial currents separately gauged is included: here, apart from the covariant anomalies, two different ways of constructing gauge-variant effective actions are possible, giving rise to different structures of the consistent anomalies.     

BV formulation of higher form gauge theories in a superspace

We discuss the extended BRST and anti-BRST symmetry (including shift symmetry) in the Batalin–Vilkovisky (BV) formulation for 2- and 3-form gauge theories. Further we develop the superspace formulation for the BV actions for these theories. We show that the extended BRST invariant BV action for these theories can be written manifestly covariant manner in a superspace with one Grassmann coordinate. On the other hand a superspace with two Grassmann coordinates is required for a manifestly covariant formulation of the extended BRST and extended anti-BRST invariant BV actions for higher form gauge theories.     

Consistent and covariant anomalies in gauge and gravitational theories

The gauge structure of anomalies and the related currents is analyzed in detail. We construct the covariant forms for both the currents and the anomalies for general gauge theories in even-dimensional space-time. The results are then extended to determine the structure of gravitational anomalies. These can always be interpreted as anomalies for local Lorentz transformations.     

Construction of non-Abelian gauge theories on noncommutative spaces

We present a formalism to explicitly construct non-Abelian gauge theories on noncommutative spaces (induced via a star product with a constant Poisson tensor) from a consistency relation. This results in an expansion of the gauge parameter, the noncommutative gauge potential and fields in the fundamental representation, in powers of a parameter of the noncommutativity. This allows the explicit construction of actions for these gauge theories. Received: 13 June 2001 / Published online: 19 July 2001     

Adler–Bardeen theorem and manifest anomaly cancellation to all orders in gauge theories

We reconsider the Adler–Bardeen theorem for the cancellation of gauge anomalies to all orders, when they vanish at one loop. Using the Batalin–Vilkovisky formalism and combining the dimensional-regularization technique with the higher-derivative gauge invariant regularization, we prove the theorem in the most general perturbatively unitary renormalizable gauge theories coupled to matter in four dimensions, and we identify the subtraction scheme where anomaly cancellation to all orders is manifest, namely no subtractions of finite local counterterms are required from two loops onwards. Our approach is based on an order-by-order analysis of renormalization, and, differently from most derivations existing in the literature, does not make use of arguments based on the properties of the renormalization group. As a consequence, the proof we give also applies to conformal field theories and finite theories.     

Geometry of manifolds with area metric: Multi-metric backgrounds

We construct the differential geometry of smooth manifolds equipped with an algebraic curvature map acting as an area measure. Area metric geometry provides a spacetime structure suitable for the discussion of gauge theories and strings, and is considerably more general than Lorentzian geometry. Our construction of geometrically relevant objects, such as an area metric compatible connection and derived tensors, makes essential use of a decomposition theorem due to Gilkey, whereby we generate the area metric from a finite collection of metrics. Employing curvature invariants for multi-metric backgrounds we devise a class of gravity theories with inherently stringy character, and discuss gauge matter actions.     

Higher-spin gauge and trace anomalies in two-dimensional backgrounds

Two-dimensional quantum fields in electric and gravitational backgrounds can be described by conformal field theories, and hence all the physical (covariant) quantities can be written in terms of the corresponding holomorphic quantities. In this paper, we first derive relations between covariant and holomorphic forms of higher-spin currents in these backgrounds, and then, by using these relations, obtain higher-spin generalizations of the trace and gauge (or gravitational) anomalies up to spin 4. These results are applied to derive higher-moments of Hawking fluxes in black holes in a separate paper [S. Iso, T. Morita, H. Umetsu, Hawking radiation via higher-spin gauge anomalies, arXiv: 0710.0456 [hep-th]].     

Algebra of quantum transformation of standard and extended BRST-symmetry

Using the Lagrangian statement for quantization of general gauge theories (in the absence of anomalies), we introduce quantum transformations for standard and extended BRST-symmetry in the form of symmetry transformations of renormalized effective actions and study their algebraic properties, as well as the properties of the operators for the corresponding Noetherian charges. Tomsk State Pedagogical University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 37–41, September, 1997.     

Review of high energy heavy ion reactions in emulsion

Two dimensional anomalous non-Abelian gauge theories are studied following the recently-proposed scheme of quantization. The Gauss law operator (GLO) is modified by adding the Wess-Zumino action in the new scheme. By means of an explicit canonical operator construction, we confirm that this modified GLO is time independent and has no commutator anomalies in the two dimensionalSU (2) model. Argument for the general validity of this analysis is also presented.     

ANOf}ALIES OF ARBITRARY GAUGE GROUP AND ITS REDUCTION GROUP,EINSTEIN AND LORENTZ ANOMALIES

Based upon the properties of the characteristic classes and their Chern-Simons secondary characteristic classes. the "Abelian" anomalies in M²ⁿ⁺²,the Euler-Heisenberq effective actions in M²ⁿ⁺¹, as well as the non-Abelian anomalies in M²ⁿ for arbitrary gauge gzoup and its reduction subgroup have been investigated thoroughly and the application to the gravitational anomalies is made. It is shown that the "Ahelian" anomalies of such groups are equal to each other, their Eu1er-Xeisenberg actions are also closely related to each, other,and their non-Abelian anomalies are also equivalent if their common generating functional can be taken as a counter-term.For the gravitational anomalies we present the common genera- ting functional for both non-Abelian Einstein and Lorentz anomalies M⁴ⁿ⁺² and show the relationship between them.     

Lattice gauge fields and noncommutative geometry

Conventional approaches to lattice gauge theories do not properly consider the topology of spacetime or of its fields. In this paper, we develop a formulation which tries to remedy this defect. It starts from a cubical decomposition of the supporting manifold (compactified space-time or spatial slice) interpreting it as a finite topological approximation in the sense of Sorkin. This finite space is entirely described by the algebra of cochains with the cup product. The methods of Connes and Lott are then used to develop gauge theories on this algebra and to derive Wilson's actions for the gauge and Dirac fields therefrom which can now be given geometrical meaning. We also describe very natural candidates for the QCD θ-term and Chern-Simons action suggested by this algebraic formulation. Some of these formulations are simpler than currently available alternatives. The paper treats both the functional integral and Hamiltonian approaches.     

Indefinite harmonic forms and gauge theory

Indecomposable representations have been extensively used in the construction of conformal and de Sitter gauge theories. It is thus noteworthy that certain unitary highest weight representations have been given a geometric realization as the unitary quotient of an indecomposable representation using indefinite harmonic forms [RSW]. We apply this construction toSU (2,2) and the de Sitter group. The relation is established between these representations and the massless, positive energy representations ofSU (2,2) obtained in the physics literature. We investigate the extent to which this construction allows twistors to be viewed as a gauge theory ofSU (2,2). For the de Sitter group, on which the gauge theory of singletons is based, we find that this construction is not directly applicable.     

Notes on generalized global symmetries in QFT

It was recently argued that quantum field theories possess one‐form and higher‐form symmetries, labelled ‘generalized global symmetries.’ In this paper, we describe how those higher‐form symmetries can be understood mathematically as special cases of more general 2‐groups and higher groups, and discuss examples of quantum field theories admitting actions of more general higher groups than merely one‐form and higher‐form symmetries. We discuss analogues of topological defects for some of these higher symmetry groups, relating some of them to ordinary topological defects. We also discuss topological defects in cases in which the moduli ‘space’ (technically, a stack) admits an action of a higher symmetry group. Finally, we outline a proposal for how certain anomalies might potentially be understood as describing a transmutation of an ordinary group symmetry of the classical theory into a 2‐group or higher group symmetry of the quantum theory, which we link to WZW models and bosonization.