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Title: Noether’s second theorem and Ward identities for gauge symmetries

Abstract

Recently, a number of new Ward identities for large gauge transformations and large diffeomorphisms have been discovered. Some of the identities are reinterpretations of previously known statements, while some appear to be genuinely new. We present and use Noether’s second theorem with the path integral as a powerful way of generating these kinds of Ward identities. We reintroduce Noether’s second theorem and discuss how to work with the physical remnant of gauge symmetry in gauge fixed systems. We illustrate our mechanism in Maxwell theory, Yang-Mills theory, p-form field theory, and Einstein-Hilbert gravity. We comment on multiple connections between Noether’s second theorem and known results in the recent literature. Finally, our approach suggests a novel point of view with important physical consequences.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States)
  2. Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States); Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1327284
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0010010
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online); Journal Volume: 2016; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1029-8479
Publisher:
Springer Berlin
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Gauge Symmetry; Space-Time Symmetries; Classical Theories of Gravity

Citation Formats

Avery, Steven G., and Schwab, Burkhard U. W. Noether’s second theorem and Ward identities for gauge symmetries. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1007/JHEP02(2016)031.
Avery, Steven G., & Schwab, Burkhard U. W. Noether’s second theorem and Ward identities for gauge symmetries. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2016)031
Avery, Steven G., and Schwab, Burkhard U. W. Thu . "Noether’s second theorem and Ward identities for gauge symmetries". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2016)031. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1327284.
@article{osti_1327284,
title = {Noether’s second theorem and Ward identities for gauge symmetries},
author = {Avery, Steven G. and Schwab, Burkhard U. W.},
abstractNote = {Recently, a number of new Ward identities for large gauge transformations and large diffeomorphisms have been discovered. Some of the identities are reinterpretations of previously known statements, while some appear to be genuinely new. We present and use Noether’s second theorem with the path integral as a powerful way of generating these kinds of Ward identities. We reintroduce Noether’s second theorem and discuss how to work with the physical remnant of gauge symmetry in gauge fixed systems. We illustrate our mechanism in Maxwell theory, Yang-Mills theory, p-form field theory, and Einstein-Hilbert gravity. We comment on multiple connections between Noether’s second theorem and known results in the recent literature. Finally, our approach suggests a novel point of view with important physical consequences.},
doi = {10.1007/JHEP02(2016)031},
journal = {Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)},
number = 2,
volume = 2016,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Thu Feb 04 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}

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