Chern--Simons theory on \(\mathbb R^3\) in axial gauge: a rigorous approach (Q1883230)

The author studies pure Chern-Simons models on \({\mathbb R}^3\) using a functional integral quantization approach based on axial gauge fixing. Wilson loop observables are obtained heuristically by integrating certain quantities against a Gaussian-type functional measure. A rigorous meaning of these heuristic integrals is proposed. Detailed calculations are made for the simplest case where the group of the model is \(U(1)\).