Elementary Derivation of the Chiral Anomaly
An elementary derivation of the chiral gauge anomaly in all even dimensions is given in terms of noncommutative traces of pseudo-differential operators.
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arXiv subjects
Jouko Mickelsson
Publications and source records attributed to Jouko Mickelsson.
(3+1)-Dimensional Schwinger Terms and Non-commutative Geometry
We discuss 2-cocycles of the Lie algebra $\Map(M^3;\g)$ of smooth, compactly supported maps on 3-dimensional manifolds $M^3$ with values in a compact, semi-simple Lie algebra $\g$. We show by explicit calculation that the Mickelsson-Faddeev-Shatashvili cocycle $\f{\ii}{24π^2}\int\trac{A\ccr{\dd X}{\dd Y}}$ is cohomologous to the one obtained from the cocycle given by Mickelsson and Rajeev for an abstract Lie algebra $\gz$ of Hilbert space operators modeled on a Schatten class in which $\Map(M^3;\g)$ can be naturally embedded. This completes a rigorous field theory derivation of the former cocycle as Schwinger term in the anomalous Gauss' law commutators in chiral QCD(3+1) in an operator framework. The calculation also makes explicit a direct relation of Connes' non-commutative geometry to (3+1)-dimensional gauge theory and motivates a novel calculus generalizing integration of $\g$-valued forms on 3-dimensional manifolds to the non-commutative case.
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Wodzicki residue and anomalies of current algebras
The commutator anomalies (Schwinger terms) of current algebras in $3+1$ dimensions are computed in terms of the Wodzicki residue of pseudodifferential operators; the result can be written as a (twisted) Radul 2-cocycle for the Lie algebra of PSDO's. The construction of the (second quantized) current algebra is closely related to a geometric renormalization of the interaction Hamiltonian $H_I=j_μ A^μ$ in gauge theory.
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Renormalization of current algebra
In this talk I want to explain the operator substractions needed to renormalize gauge currents in a second quantized theory. The case of space-time dimensions $3+1$ is considered in detail. In presence of chiral fermions the renormalization effects a modification of the local commutation relations of the currents by local Schwinger terms. In $1+1$ dimensions on gets the usual central extension (Schwinger term does not depend on background gauge field) whereas in $3+1$ dimensions one gets an anomaly linear in the background potential. We extend our method to the spatial components of currents. Since the bose-fermi interaction hamiltonian is of the form $j^k A_k$ (in the temporal gauge) we get a new renormalization scheme for the interaction. The idea is to define a field dependent conjugation for the fermi hamiltonian in the one-particle space such that after the conjugation the hamiltonian can be quantized just by normal ordering prescription.
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Regularization of current algebra
In this talk I want to explain the operator substractions needed to regularize gauge currents in a second quantized theory. The case of space-time dimension $3+1$ is considered in detail. In presence of chiral fermions the regularization effects a modification of the local commutation relations of the currents by local Schwinger terms. In $1+1$ dimensions one gets the usual central extension (Schwinger term does not depend on background gauge field) whereas in $3+1$ dimensions one gets an anomaly linear in the background potential.
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Hilbert space cocycles as representations of $(3+1)-$ D current algebras
It is proposed that instead of normal representations one should look at cocycles of group extensions valued in certain groups of unitary operators acting in a Hilbert space (e.g the Fock space of chiral fermions), when dealing with groups associated to current algebras in gauge theories in $3+1$ space-time dimensions. The appropriate cocycle is evaluated in the case of the group of smooth maps from the physical three-space to a compact Lie group. The cocyclic representation of a component $X$ of the current is obtained through two regularizations, 1) a conjugation by a background potential dependent unitary operator $h_A,$ 2) by a subtraction $-h_A^{-1}\Cal L_X h_A,$ where $\Cal L_X$ is a derivative along a gauge orbit. It is only the total operator $h_A^{-1} Xh_A-h_A^{-1}\Cal L_X h_A$ which is quantizable in the Fock space using the usual normal ordering subtraction.
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Current Algebras in $3+1$ dimensions
Aspects of a generalized representation theory of current algebras in $3+1$ dimensions are discussed in terms of the Fock bundle method, the sesquilinear form approach (of Langmann and Ruijsenaars), and Hilbert space cocycles.
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Vacuum Expectation Values of Products of Chiral Currents in $3+1$ Dimensions
An algebraic rule is presented for computing expectation values of products of local nonabelian charge operators for fermions coupled to an external vector potential in $3+1$ space-time dimensions. The vacuum expectation value of a product of four operators is closely related to a cyclic cocycle in noncommutative geometry of Alain Connes. The relevant representation of the current is constructed using Kirillov's method of coadjoint orbits.
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Current algebras and light-cone quantization in 3+1 dimensions
A polarization of the Lie algebras $Map(C, G)$ of gauge transformations on the light-cone $C\subset\RM^4$ is introduced, using splitting of the initial data on $C$ for the wave operator to positive and negative frequencies. This generalizes the usual polarization of affine Kac-Moody algebras to positive and negative frequencies and paves the way to a generalization of the highest weight theory to the $3+1$ dimensional setting.
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