W-ALGEBRA REALIZATIONS AND W-GRAVITY ANOMALIES

Abstract
The coupling of scalars fields to chiral W3 gravity is reviewed. In general the quantum current algebra generated by the spin-two and three currents does not close when the "natural" regularization (corresponding to the normal ordering with respect to the modes of ∂ϕi) is used, and the non-closure reflects matter-dependent anomalies in the path integral quantization. We consider the most general modification of the current, involving higher derivative "background charge" terms, and find the conditions for them to form a closed algebra in the "natural" regularization. These conditions can be satisfied only for the two-boson model. In that case, it is possible to cancel all the matter-dependent anomalies by adding finite local counter terms to the action and modifying the transformation rules of the fields.

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