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arXiv · 1807.05161

The Gauss Law: A Tale

A. P. Balachandran·A. F. Reyes-Lega
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Abstract

The Gauss law plays a basic role in gauge theories, enforcing gauge invariance and creating edge states and superselection sectors. This article surveys these aspects of the Gauss law in QED, QCD and nonlinear $G/H$ models. It is argued that nonabelian superselection rules are spontaneously broken. That is the case with $SU(3)$ of colour which is spontaneously broken to $U(1)\times U(1)$. Nonlinear $G/H$ models are reformulated as gauge theories and the existence of edge states and superselection sectors in these models is also established.

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A. P. Balachandran, A. F. Reyes-Lega. 2020-08-08. The Gauss Law: A Tale. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24748-5_4

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