Modified Proca theory in arbitrary and two dimensions

¹ Physics Department, Centre of Advanced Studies, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi-221 005, Uttar Pradesh, India
² DST Centre for Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi-221 005, India

^(a) amit.akrao@gmail.com
^(b) rpmalik1995@gmail.com (corresponding author)

Received: 3 August 2021
Accepted: 10 September 2021

Abstract

We demonstrate that the standard Stückelberg-modified Proca theory (i.e., a massive Abelian 1-form theory) respects the classical gauge and corresponding quantum (anti-)BRST symmetry transformations in any arbitrary dimension of spacetime within the framework of Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) formalism. We further show that the Stückelberg formalism gets modified in the two ()-dimensions of spacetime due to a couple of discrete duality symmetry transformations in the theory which turn out to be responsible for the existence of the nilpotent (anti-)co-BRST symmetry transformations corresponding to the nilpotent (anti-)BRST symmetry transformations of our theory. These nilpotent symmetries exist together in the modified version of the two ()-dimensional (2D) Proca theory. We provide the mathematical basis for the modification of the Stückelberg technique, the existence of the discrete duality as well as the continuous (anti-)co-BRST symmetry transformations in the 2D modified version of Proca theory.