CHIRAL SYMMETRIES OF THE WZNW MODEL BY HAMILTONIAN METHODS

TL;DR

This paper clarifies the relationship between Kac-Moody algebras and chiral symmetries in the WZNW model, showing that zero modes generate gauge symmetries, which are chiral, using Hamiltonian methods.

Contribution

It demonstrates that only zero modes of Kac-Moody currents are first class constraints, establishing the chiral nature of the gauge symmetries in the WZNW model.

Findings

Zero modes are the only first class constraints.

Gauge symmetries are chiral.

Clarifies the algebraic structure of symmetries in the model.

Abstract

The connection between the Kac-Moody algebras of currents and the chiral symmetries of the two dimensional WZNW model is clarified. It is shown that only the zero modes of the Kac-Moody currents are the first class constraints, and that, consequently, the corresponding gauge symmetries are chiral.