Fermion current algebras and Schwinger terms in \((3+1)\)-dimensions (Q1325561)

Gauge theories for elementary particles are based on the concept of a Yang-Mills field coupled to second-quantized fermions in a \((3+1)\) dimensional spacetime. The article considers groups of Bogoliubov automorphisms related to gauge transformations that arise when the Yang- Mills field is external, i.e., it is not influenced by the presence of fermions. It is known that ultraviolet divergencies prevent group elements (acting on the fermionic field) from being implemented by unitary operators acting on the physical Hilbert space \(\mathcal H\). Instead, they may be implemented by sesquilinear forms on \(\mathcal H\), and it is demonstrated that there exists some kind of (group) product for these forms. In terms of the Lie algebra, the proposed procedure mirrors what physicists call the ``wave function renormalization''. It is shown to lead to a consistent mathematically rigorous definition of currents and Schwinger terms (also known as the Mickelsson-Rajeev cocycles) for their Lie bracket. The article provides some explicit formulas that may be useful in applications.