Hamiltonian dynamics of the parametrized electromagnetic field Articles uri icon

publication date

  • June 2016

start page

  • 125030-1

end page

  • 125030-10

issue

  • 12

volume

  • 33

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0264-9381

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1361-6382

abstract

  • We study the Hamiltonian formulation for a parametrized electromagnetic field with the purpose of clarifying the interplay between parametrization and gauge symmetries. We use a geometric approach which is tailor-made for theories where embeddings are part of the dynamical variables. Our point of view is global and coordinate free. The most important result of the paper is the identification of sectors in the primary constraint submanifold in the phase space of the model where the number of independent components of the Hamiltonian vector fields that define the dynamics changes. This explains the non-trivial behavior of the system and some of its pathologies.

subjects

  • Mathematics
  • Physics

keywords

  • parametrized gauge field theories; electromagnetism; hamiltonian formulation; spacetime diffeomorphisms; tensor fields; hyperspace; representations