Yang-Baxter deformations of the flat space string

Abstract

We define integrability preserving Yang-Baxter deformations of symmetric space sigma models with non-semi-simple symmetry group, in particular the flat space string, using only the essential structures of a symmetric space sigma model. For homogeneous deformations, the Lax connection is of the same form as the semi-simple case, although the R operator no longer satisfies a freestanding operator equation. For inhomogeneous deformations, the form of the Lax connection needs to be relaxed, by modifying the underlying algebra. We illustrate the construction by discussing nonabelian deformations of three dimensional Minkowski space.