Exotic Yang–Mills Dilaton Gauge Theories

Abstract

An exotic class of nonlinear p-form non-Abelian gauge theories is studied, arising from the most general allowed covariant deformation of linear Abelian gauge theory for a set of massless 1-form fields and 2-form fields in four dimensions. These theories combine a Chapline–Manton type coupling of the 1-forms and 2-forms, along with a Yang–Mills coupling of the 1-forms, a Freedman–Townsend coupling of the 2-forms, and an extended Freedman–Townsend type coupling between the 1-forms and 2-forms. It is shown that the resulting theories have a geometrically interesting dual formulation that is equivalent to an exotic Yang–Mills dilaton theory involving a nonlinear sigma field. In particular, the nonlinear sigma field couples to the Yang–Mills 1-form field through a generalized Chern class 4-form term.