Summary: MAD/TH-91-14
November 1991
Revised
Duality and the Vacuum
Theodore J. Allen
Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin
1150 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706 USA
Abstract
We examine the issue of duality both in electrodynamics and in Kalb­Ramond--
scalar axion systems. In D spacetime dimensions the dual abelian theories of p-1- and
D - p - 1-form potentials have vacua classified by the dimensions of the cohomology
spaces Hp-1( (D-1)M) or HD-p-1( (D-1)M) respectively. The vacua are characterized
by topological charges which are expectation values for generalized `Wilson loop'
operators around non-trivial cycles. In certain instances the vacua exhibit a theta
angle parametrization much as in QCD. The relation of axionic hair and discrete
gauge hair is analyzed in the topologically massive Kalb­Ramond theory. If there
are no fundamental strings in the theory, axionic charge is replaced by an irrelevant
vacuum angle.
E-mail address: tjallen@wishep.bitnet, @wishep.physics.wisc.edu
1. Introduction

Source: Allen, Theodore J. - Physics Department, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Collections: Physics