Massive selfdual perturbed gauge theory

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel approach to describing massive gauge theories as perturbations of selfdual gauge theories, avoiding scalar fields and resulting in a non-polynomial, infinite-term Lagrangian with potential implications for gauge theory understanding.

Contribution

It introduces a new formulation of massive gauge theories using anti-selfdual field strengths, generalizing axial anomaly structures without scalar degrees of freedom.

Findings

Massive gauge theory formulated as a perturbation of selfdual theory.

The resulting Lagrangian is non-polynomial with infinite terms.

Unitary propagation achieved through gauge fixing of an additional symmetry.

Abstract

Spontaneously broken gauge theories are described as a perturbation of selfdual gauge theory. Instead of the incorporation of scalar degrees of freedom, the massive component of the gauge field is obtained from an anti-selfdual field strength consisting of three components before gauge fixing. The interactions describe a massive gauge theory that is non-polynomial with an expansion containing an infinite number of terms. The Lagrangian generalizes the form of the axial anomaly in two dimensions. Unitary propagation of the tensor field occurs upon gauge fixing an additional symmetry.