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arXiv · hep-th/9906079

Duality-invariant Quantum Field Theories of Charges and Monopoles

Abstract

We present a manifestly Lorentz- and SO(2)-Duality-invariant local Quantum Field Theory of electric charges, Dirac magnetic monopoles and dyons. The manifest invariances are achieved by means of the PST-mechanism. The dynamics for classical point particles is described by an action functional living on a circle, if the Dirac-Schwinger quantization condition for electric and magnetic charges holds. The inconsistent classical field theory depends on an arbitrary, but fixed, external vector field, a generalization of the Dirac-string. Nevertheless, the Quantum Field Theory, obtained from this classical action via a functional integral approach, turns out to be independent of the particular vector field chosen, and thus consistent, if the Dirac-Schwinger quantization condition holds. We provide explicit expressions for the generating functionals of observables, proving that they are Dirac-string independent. Since Lorentz-invariance is manifest at each step, the quantum theory admits also a manifestly diffeomorphism invariant coupling to external gravity. Relations with previous formulations, and with SO(2)--non invariant theories are clarified.

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BibTeXRIS

K. Lechner, P. A. Marchetti. 1999-06-10. Duality-invariant Quantum Field Theories of Charges and Monopoles. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0550-3213(99)00711-7

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