Sigma model solitons and their moduli space metrics (Q1109394)

This paper provides a discussion of the supersymmetric sigma model in \(2+1\) dimensions and the way in which supersymmetric solutions correspond to holomorphic maps. From a mathematical point of view the relevant part is section 5 where the author focusses attention on the natural ``kinetic energy'' metric on the moduli space of holomorphic maps (with suitable behaviour at infinity) from the complex line to a Kähler manifold. His main aim is to show that this metric is Kähler and this he achieves by first considering the space of all smooth maps and showing that this infinite-dimensional space is formally Kähler. Secondly he shows that the holomorphic maps form a complex submanifold and hence the induced metric is Kähler. This point of view also leads to a construction of the Kähler potential (if it globally exists). As an application of his method, the author applies it to the metrics of \textit{R. S. Ward} [Phys. Lett. 158 B, 424 (1985)] deriving the Kähler property and formulae for two lumps with relative ease.