Drinfeld--Sokolov Gravity

TL;DR

This paper introduces a geometric model of Drinfeld--Sokolov reduction on Riemann surfaces, leading to a new 2D gravity theory called DS gravity, with implications for quantum field theory and moduli space analysis.

Contribution

It presents a Lagrangian Euclidean model of DS reduction that generalizes to any genus and introduces DS gravity as a novel 2D gravity model based on geometric and gauge-theoretic structures.

Findings

Quantization of fields implements DS reduction.

The model defines a DS moduli space of gauge equivalence classes.

Residual gauge symmetry acts as a DS analogue of conformal symmetry.

Abstract

A lagrangian euclidean model of Drinfeld--Sokolov (DS) reduction leading to general $W$--algebras on a Riemann surface of any genus is presented. The background geometry is given by the DS principal bundle $K$ associated to a complex Lie group $G$ and an $SL(2,\Bbb C)$ subgroup $S$. The basic fields are a hermitian fiber metric $H$ of $K$ and a $(0,1)$ Koszul gauge field $A^*$ of $K$ valued in a certain negative graded subalgebra $\goth x$ of $\goth g$ related to $\goth s$. The action governing the $H$ and $A^*$ dynamics is the effective action of a DS field theory in the geometric background specified by $H$ and $A^*$. Quantization of $H$ and $A^*$ implements on one hand the DS reduction and on the other defines a novel model of $2d$ gravity, DS gravity. The gauge fixing of the DS gauge symmetry yields an integration on a moduli space of DS gauge equivalence classes of $A^*$ configurations, the DS moduli space. The model has a residual gauge symmetry associated to the DS gauge transformations leaving a given field $A^*$ invariant. This is the DS counterpart of conformal symmetry. Conformal invariance and certain non perturbative features of the model are discussed in detail.