Supervariable and BRST Approaches to a Reparameterization Invariant Non-Relativistic System

TL;DR

This paper applies supervariable and BRST formalisms to derive off-shell nilpotent (anti-)BRST symmetries for a reparameterization invariant non-relativistic free particle, revealing novel aspects of gauge fixing and ghost terms.

Contribution

It introduces a modified supervariable approach and derives a universal Curci-Ferrari restriction for the system, connecting non-relativistic and relativistic particle formalisms.

Findings

Derived off-shell nilpotent (anti-)BRST symmetries for the model.

Established the universality of gauge-fixing and ghost terms across systems.

Identified a novel Curci-Ferrari restriction in the context of non-relativistic systems.

Abstract

We exploit the theoretical strength of the supervariable and Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) formalisms to derive the proper (i.e. off-shell nilpotent and absolutely anticommuting) (anti-)BRST symmetry transformations for the reparameterization invariant model of a non-relativistic (NR) free particle whose space $(x)$ and time $(t)$ variables are function of an evolution parameter $(\tau)$. The infinitesimal reparameterization (i.e. 1D diffeomorphism) symmetry transformation of our theory is defined w.r.t. this evolution parameter $(\tau)$. We apply the modified Bonora-Tonin (BT) supervariable approach (MBTSA) as well as the (anti-)chiral supervariable approach (ACSA) to BRST formalism to discuss various aspects of our present system. For this purpose, our 1D ordinary theory (parameterized by $\tau$) is generalized onto a $(1, 2)$-dimensional supermanifold which is characterized by the superspace coordinates $Z^M = (\tau, \theta, \bar\theta)$ where a pair of Grassmannian variables satisfy the fermionic relationships: $\theta^2 = {\bar\theta}^2 = 0, \, \theta\,\bar\theta + \bar\theta\,\theta = 0$ and $\tau$ is the bosonic evolution parameter. In the context of ACSA, we take into account only the (1, 1)-dimensional (anti-)chiral super sub-manifolds of the general (1, 2)-dimensional supermanifold. The derivation of the universal Curci-Ferrari (CF)-type restriction, from various underlying theoretical methods, is a novel observation in our present endeavor. Furthermore, we note that the form of the gauge-fixing and Faddeev-Popov ghost terms for our NR and non-SUSY system is exactly same as that of the reparameterization invariant SUSY (i.e. spinning) and non-SUSY (i.e. scalar) relativistic particles. This is a novel observation, too.