Algebraic aspects of the background field method (Q1604323)

The authors study a generic gauge theory. Here \(A_{a\mu}\): gauge fields, \(B_n\): Lagrange multipliers in the gauge fixing, \(V_{a\mu}\): the background fields, \(\Omega_{a\mu}\): the BRST partner of \(V_{a\mu}\), and \(\overline\theta_a\), \(\theta_a\): the Faddeev-Popov fields. They consider the generating functional \(W\) of the Green functions (in \(Z[J,V,\dots]= \exp(iW)\)) associated to the action \(\Gamma^{(0)}[A,V]\), with external currents \(J\), \(K\), \(\eta\), \(\overline\eta\) coupled to \(A\), \(B\), \(\overline\theta\), \(\theta\). The BRST invariance corresponds to S-T identity \(SW= 0\). Let \[ \widetilde Z[J,V,\dots]= \exp(i\widetilde W)\equiv Z[J, V,\dots]\exp \left\{-i \int d^4x VJ\right\}, \] \(\widetilde A= \partial_J\widetilde W\), and \(\widetilde\Gamma[\widetilde A, V]= \widetilde W- \int d^4x J\widetilde A-\cdots\). They prove a theorem of equivalence for the constructions ``by \(\Gamma[A, V]\)'' and ``by \(\widetilde\Gamma[0, V]|_{V= A}\)''. \(\beta_1(x)\): external sources coupled to BRST invariant quantities, and \[ W_{bg}[J,\beta,\dots]= \widetilde\Gamma[0, V,\beta,\dots]+ \int d^4x JV+ \int d^4x(KB- \eta\overline\theta- \overline\eta\theta). \] They prove the physical equivalence \[ \delta^{(n)}\{W[0,V,\beta,\dots]- W_{bg}[J, \beta,\dots]\}/\delta\beta_{i_1}(x_1)\cdots \delta\beta_{i_n}(x_n)|_{J= 0=\beta}= 0. \] Finally, they give an improved proof that the extended BRST transformation \(sV_a^\mu= \Omega_a^\mu\), \(s\Omega_a^\mu= 0\) does not change the anomaly properties of the S-T identity.