Higher gauge theory and a non-abelian generalization of 2-form electrodynamics.

DOI10.1016/S0003-4916(03)00147-7zbMATH Open1056.70013arXivhep-th/0304074OpenAlexW2078601795MaRDI QIDQ1419787FDOQ1419787

Authors: Hendryk Pfeiffer 

Publication date: 26 January 2004

Published in: Annals of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In conventional gauge theory, a charged point particle is described by a representation of the gauge group. If we propagate the particle along some path, the parallel transport of the gauge connection acts on this representation. The Lagrangian density of the gauge field depends on the curvature of the connection which can be calculated from the holonomy around (infinitesimal) loops. For Abelian symmetry groups, say G=U(1), there exists a generalization, known as p-form electrodynamics, in which (p-1)-dimensional charged objects can be propagated along p-surfaces and in which the Lagrangian depends on a generalized curvature associated with (infinitesimal) closed p-surfaces. In this article, we use Lie 2-groups and ideas from higher category theory in order to formulate a discrete gauge theory which generalizes these models at the level p=2 to possibly non-Abelian symmetry groups. An important feature of our model is that it involves both parallel transports along paths and generalized transports along surfaces with a non-trivial interplay of these two types of variables. Our main result is the geometric picture, namely the assignment of non-Abelian quantities to geometrical objects in a coordinate free way. We construct the precise assignment of variables to the curves and surfaces, the generalized local symmetries and gauge invariant actions and we clarify which structures can be non-Abelian and which others are always Abelian. A discrete version of connections on non-Abelian gerbes is a special case of our construction. Even though the motivation sketched so far suggests applications mainly in string theory, the model presented here is also related to spin foam models of quantum gravity and may in addition provide some insight into the role of centre monopoles and vortices in lattice QCD.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0304074

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zbMATH Keywords

Lattice gauge theoryspin foam modelLie 2-groups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Yang-Mills and other gauge theories in mechanics of particles and systems (70S15) Yang-Mills and other gauge theories in quantum field theory (81T13) Quantum field theory on lattices (81T25)

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Cited In (32)

• Quantum double models coupled to matter fields: A detailed review for a dualization procedure
• 3-form Yang-Mills based on 2-crossed modules
• Topological higher gauge theory: From BF to BFCG theory
• On 3-gauge transformations, 3-curvatures, and Gray-categories
• Two-dimensional algebra in lattice gauge theory
• Lattice gerbe theory
• Orbifolds by 2-groups and decomposition
• AKSZ models of semistrict higher gauge theory
• Higher Chern-Simons-Antoniadis-Savvidy forms based on crossed modules
• An invitation to higher gauge theory
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• Abelian 2-form gauge theory: special features
• On the global 2-holonomy for a 2-connection on a 2-bundle
• Higher gauge theory—differential versus integral formulation
• 2-group global symmetries, hydrodynamics and holography
• SURFACE HOLONOMY AND GAUGE 2-GROUP
• Higher lattices, discrete two-dimensional holonomy and topological phases in \((3+1)\) d with higher gauge symmetry
• Dynamical generalization of Yetter's model based on a crossed module of discrete groups
• Excitations in strict 2-group higher gauge models of topological phases
• 2-groups, trialgebras and their Hopf categories of representations
• On a canonical lift of Artin's representation to loop braid groups
• Dynamics of a lattice 2-group gauge theory model
• Gauge transformations for categorical bundles
• Fractional Hall conductivity and spin-c structure in solvable lattice Hamiltonians
• HIGHER GAUGE THEORY AND GRAVITY IN 2+1 DIMENSIONS
• Non-abelian differentiable gerbes
• p -form electromagnetism on discrete spacetimes
• Higher Chern-Simons based on (2-)crossed modules
• An abstract interface to higher spin gauge field theory
• Representations of the necklace braid group: topological and combinatorial approaches
• On 2-form gauge models of topological phases
• PARALLEL TRANSPORT OVER PATH SPACES

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