THE FREEDMAN-TOWNSEND MODEL IN TWO AND THREE DIMENSIONS

Abstract

Using a mechanism similar to that employed by Freedman and Townsend in four dimensions, we discuss a variety of two- and three-dimensional gauge theories. The simplest of these models is equivalent to the nonlinear sigma model; another corresponds to a massive vector theory. In three dimensions, there exists a gauge invariance associated with the auxiliary vector ϕμa; when we quantize, this is accommodated using both the Batalin-Vilkovisky configuration space formalism and the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky configuration space formalism. Explicit one-loop calculations in the simplest two-dimensional model are carried out. The regularization used is a variant of operator regularization, allowing one to remain in two dimensions, hence circumventing problems associated with definition of the antisymmetric tensor εμν. This model is renormalizable, with renormalization mixing the scalar field ϕa and the transverse component of the vector field Vμa.