Generalized Hamiltonian Formalism of (2+1)-Dimensional Non-Linear $\sigma$-Model in Polynomial Formulation

TL;DR

This paper develops a generalized Hamiltonian formalism for the (2+1)-dimensional non-linear sigma model in polynomial form, revealing its gauge symmetry and various canonical structures, including connections to Chern-Simons and BF theories.

Contribution

It introduces a polynomial formulation with a dynamical vector field and constructs the explicit Hamiltonian formalism using Dirac's method for constrained systems.

Findings

Realization of current algebra as Dirac brackets

Canonical structure similar to Chern-Simons or BF theories

Interaction between dynamical variables and conjugate momenta via covariant derivative

Abstract

We investigate the canonical structure of the (2+1)-dimensional non-linear $\sigma$ model in a $polynomial$ formulation. A current density defined in the non-linear $\sigma$ model is a vector field which satisfies a $formal$ flatness (or pure gauge) condition. It is the polynomial formulation in which the vector field is regarded as a dynamical variable on which the flatness condition is imposed as a constraint condition by introducing a Lagrange multiplier field. The model so formulated has gauge symmetry under a transformation of the Lagrange multiplier field. We construct the generalized Hamiltonian formalism of the model explicitly by using the Dirac method for constrained systems. We derive three types of the pre-gauge-fixing Hamiltonian systems: In the first system, the current algebra is realized as the fundamental Dirac Brackets. The second one manifests the similar canonical structure as the Chern-Simons or BF theories. In the last one, there appears an interesting interaction as the dynamical variables are coupled to their conjugate momenta via the covariant derivative.