Fractional Supersymmetry

A Symmetry between bosonic coordinates and some Grassmannian-type coordinates is presented. Commuting two of these Grassmannian-type variables results in an arbitrary phase (not just a minus sign). This symmetry is also realised at the level of the field theory.Comment: 5 pages, Late

Gauss Decomposition, Wakimoto Realisation and Gauged WZNW Models

The implications of gauging the Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten (WZNW) model using the Gauss decomposition of the group elements are explored. We show that, contrary to standard gauging of WZNW models, this gauging is carried out by minimally coupling the gauge fields. We find that this gauging, in the case of gauging an abelian vector subgroup, differs from the standard one by terms proportional to the field strength of the gauge fields. We prove that gauging an abelian vector subgroup does not have a nonlinear sigma model interpretation. This is because the target-space metric resulting from the integration over the gauge fields is degenerate. We demonstrate, however, that this kind of gauging has a natural interpretation in terms of Wakimoto variables.Comment: 17 pages, BONN-HE-93-4

N=2 Current Algebras for Non-Semi-Simple Groups

We examine the problem of constructing N=2 superconformal algebras out of N=1 non-semi-simple affine Lie algebras. These N=2 superconformal theories share the property that the super Virasoro central charge depends only on the dimension of the Lie algebra. We find, in particular, a construction having a central charge c=9. This provides a possible internal space for string compactification and where mirror symmetry might be explored.Comment: 10 pages, BONN-HE-94-0

A Novel Symmetry in Sigma Models

A class of non-linear sigma models possessing a new symmetry is identified. The same symmetry is also present in Chern-Simons theories. This hints at a possible topological origin for this class of sigma models. The non-linear sigma models obtained by non-Abelian duality are a particular case in this class.Comment: 9 pages, latex, no figure

Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten Models Based on Lie Superalgebras

The affine current algebra for Lie superalgebras is examined. The bilinear invariant forms of the Lie superalgebra can be either degenerate or non-degenerate. We give the conditions for a Virasoro construction, in which the currents are primary fields of weight one, to exist. In certain cases, the Virasoro central charge is an integer equal to the super dimension of the group supermanifold. A Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten action based on these Lie superalgebras is also found.Comment: 10 pages, Latexfile, BONN-TH-94-0

Anti-field Formalism and Non-Abelian Duality

The act of implementing non-Abelian duality in two dimensional sigma models results unavoidably in an additional reducible symmetry. The Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism is employed to handle this new symmetry. Valuable lessons are learnt here with respect to non-Abelian duality. We emphasise, in particular, the effects of the ghost sector corresponding to this symmetry on non-Abelian duality.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX2

Non-Abelian Duality Based on Non-Semi-Simple Isometry Groups

Non-Abelian duality transformations built on non-semi-simple isometry groups are analysed. We first give the conditions under which the original non-linear sigma model and its non-Abelian dual are equivalent. The existence of an invariant and non-degenerate bilinear form for the isometry Lie algebra is crucial for this equivalence. The non-Abelian dual of a conformally invariant sigma model, with non-semi-simple isometries, is then constructed and its beta functions are shown to vanish. This study resolves an apparent obstruction to the conformal invariance of sigma models obtained via non-Abelian duality based on non-semi-simple groups.Comment: 13 pages, Latex file, to appear in Phys. Lett.