Supercurrent and Local Coupling in the Wess-Zumino Model

We study the Wess-Zumino model with the coupling extended to a chiral superfield. In order to incorporate the renormalization effects a further external real field has to be introduced. It is then possible to derive a Callan-Symanzik equation and to prove renormalizability. By constructing the supercurrent in this context the whole machinery for describing the superconformal symmetries becomes available. The presence of the external fields allows also to define multiple insertions of all relevant composite operators. Interesting relations to the curved superspace treatment show up.Comment: 16 page

Time-ordered Perturbation Theory on Noncommutative Spacetime: Basic Rules

Assuming the S-matrix on noncommutative (NC) spacetime can still be developped perturbatively in terms of the time-ordered exponential of the interaction Lagrangian, we investigate the perturbation theory of NC field theory. We first work out with care some typical Green functions starting from the usual concepts of time-ordering and commutation relations for free fields. The results are found to be very different from those in the naive approach pursued in the literature. A simple framework then appears naturally which can incorporate the new features of our results and which turns out to be the usual time-ordered perturbation theory extended to the NC context. We provide the prescriptions for computing S-matrix elements and Green functions in this framework. We also emphasize that the naive seemingly covariant approach cannot be reproduced from the current one, in contrast to the field theory on ordinary spacetime. We attribute this to the phase-like nonlocal interaction intrinsic in NC field theory which modifies the analytic properties of Green functions significantly.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure using axodraw; version 2: typos fixed and one ref updated, to appear in Eur Phys J

On Double Gauging of U(1) Symmetry on Noncommutative Space

We point out that a field \phi charged under a global U(1) symmetry generally allows for a starred localized extension with the transformation rule, \phi\to U_L\star\phi\star U_R^{-1}. This results in a double gauging of the global U(1) symmetry on noncommutative space. We interpret the gauge theory so obtained in terms of the gauge fields that in the commutative limit appear naturally and are respectively the gauge field responsible for the charge and a decoupled vector field. The interactions are shown to be very different from those obtained by assigning a transformation rule of \phi\to U\star\phi or \phi\star U^{-1}.Comment: 8 pages, no figure

Rigid invariance as derived from BRS invariance: The abelian Higgs model

Consequences of a symmetry, e.g.\ relations amongst Green functions, are renormalization scheme independently expressed in terms of a rigid Ward identity. The corresponding local version yields information on the respective current. In the case of spontaneous breakdown one has to define the theory via the BRS invariance and thus to construct rigid and current Ward identity non-trivially in accordance with it. We performed this construction to all orders of perturbation theory in the abelian Higgs model as a prelude to the standard model. A technical tool of interest in itself is the use of a doublet of external scalar ``background'' fields. The Callan-Symanzik equation has an interesting form and follows easily once the rigid invariance is established.Comment: 33 pages, Plain Te