The BPHZ renormalised BV master equation and Two-loop Anomalies in Chiral Gravities

TL;DR

This paper develops a BPHZ renormalization approach within the BV formalism to compute anomalies at all orders in perturbation theory, demonstrated through two-loop anomalies in chiral W3 gravity.

Contribution

It introduces a local quantum operator equation for anomalies using Zimmerman's normal products and BPHZ renormalization, applicable to all orders and beyond the BV framework.

Findings

Derived a local quantum operator equation valid to all perturbation orders.

Provided a calculational method for higher-loop anomalies in gauge theories.

Successfully computed one- and two-loop anomalies in chiral W3 gravity.

Abstract

Anomalies and BRST invariance are governed, in the context of Lagrangian Batalin-Vilkovisky quantization, by the master equation, whose classical limit is $(S, S)=0$. Using Zimmerman's normal products and the BPHZ renormalisation method, we obtain a corresponding local quantum operator equation, which is valid to all orders in perturbation theory. The formulation implies a calculational method for anomalies to all orders that is useful also outside the BV context and that remains completely within regularised perturbation theory. It makes no difference in principle whether the anomaly appears at one loop or at higher loops. The method is illustrated by computing the one- and two-loop anomalies in chiral $W_3$ gravity.