Gaudin models with irregular singularities

Abstract

We introduce a class of quantum integrable systems generalizing the Gaudin model. The corresponding algebras of quantum Hamiltonians are obtained as quotients of the center of the enveloping algebra of an affine Kac-Moody algebra at the critical level, extending the construction of higher Gaudin Hamiltonians from hep-th/9402022 to the case of non-highest weight representations of affine algebras. We show that these algebras are isomorphic to algebras of functions on the spaces of opers on P^1 with regular as well as irregular singularities at finitely many points. We construct eigenvectors of these Hamiltonians, using Wakimoto modules of critical level, and show that their spectra on finite-dimensional representations are given by opers with trivial monodromy. We also comment on the connection between the generalized Gaudin models and the geometric Langlands correspondence with ramification.