On Exact Evaluation of Path Integrals

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Index Theorems and Loop Space Geometry

We investigate the evaluation of the Dirac index using symplectic geometry in the loop space of the corresponding supersymmetric quantum mechanical model. In particular, we find that if we impose a simple first class constraint, we can evaluate the Callias index of an odd dimensional Dirac operator directly from the quantum mechanical model which yields the Atiyah-Singer index of an even dimensional Dirac operator in one more dimension. The effective action obtained by BRST quantization of this constrained system can be interpreted in terms of loop space symplectic geometry, and the corresponding path integral for the index can be evaluated exactly using the recently developed localization techniques.Comment: 15 pages, report CERN-TH-6471 and HU-TFT-92-1

BRST extension of the Faddeev model

The Faddeev model is a second class constrained system. Here we construct its nilpotent BRST operator and derive the ensuing manifestly BRST invariant Lagrangian. Our construction employs the structure of Stuckelberg fields in a nontrivial fashion.Comment: 4 pages, new references adde

Dual Superconductors and SU(2) Yang-Mills

We propose that the SU(2) Yang-Mills theory can be interpreted as a two-band dual superconductor with an interband Josephson coupling. We discuss various consequences of this interpretation including electric flux quantization, confinement of vortices with fractional flux, and the possibility that a closed vortex loop exhibits exotic exchange statistics

Anomaly-Induced Magnetic Screening in 2+1 dimensional QED at Finite Density

We show that in 2+1 dimensional Quantum Electrodynamics an external magnetic field applied to a finite density of massless fermions is screened, due to a $2+1$-dimensional realization of the underlying $2$-dimensional axial anomaly of the space components of the electric current. This is shown to imply screening of the magnetic field, i.e., the Meissner effect. We discuss the physical implications of this result.Comment: 8 pages, DFTT-93-10 [ Eq.(15) and (16) were scrambled in previous version

Fixed Charge Ensembles and Parity Breaking Terms

Recently derived results for the exact induced parity-breaking term in 2+1 dimensions at finite temperature are shown to be relevant to the determination of the free energy for fixed-charge ensembles. The partition functions for fixed total charge corresponding to massive fermions in the presence of Abelian and non-Abelian magnetic fields are discussed. We show that the presence of the induced Chern-Simons term manifests itself in that the free energy depends strongly on the relation between the external magnetic flux and the value of the fixed charge.Comment: 10 pages, Revte