TY - JOUR

T1 - An action principle for the Neveu-Schwarz-Ramond string and other systems using supernumerary variables

AU - Collins, P. A.

AU - Tucker, Robin

PY - 1977/4/4

Y1 - 1977/4/4

N2 - An action principle which gives rise to the equations of motion and boundary conditions for the free relativistic string with fermionic degrees of freedom is presented. With the aid of extra variables, some of which are Grassmann functions, all the gauge generators are obtained as secondary constraints. The consistency of the system is demonstrated using a generalised Poisson bracket operation. The theory is quantised with Dirac brackets and the fermionic fields become elements of a Clifford algebra. The methods are also used to formulate the theory of the Klein-Gordon and Dirac point particles and the relativistic string and membrane without intrinsic spin. Under certain circumstances we show that the supernumerary variables may be removed entirely from the original Lagrangian.

AB - An action principle which gives rise to the equations of motion and boundary conditions for the free relativistic string with fermionic degrees of freedom is presented. With the aid of extra variables, some of which are Grassmann functions, all the gauge generators are obtained as secondary constraints. The consistency of the system is demonstrated using a generalised Poisson bracket operation. The theory is quantised with Dirac brackets and the fermionic fields become elements of a Clifford algebra. The methods are also used to formulate the theory of the Klein-Gordon and Dirac point particles and the relativistic string and membrane without intrinsic spin. Under certain circumstances we show that the supernumerary variables may be removed entirely from the original Lagrangian.

U2 - 10.1016/0550-3213(77)90442-4

DO - 10.1016/0550-3213(77)90442-4

M3 - Journal article

VL - 121

SP - 307

EP - 325

JO - Nuclear Physics B

JF - Nuclear Physics B

SN - 0550-3213

IS - 2

ER -