Nilpotent symmetry invariance in the superfield formulation: the (non-)Abelian 1-form gauge theories

Abstract

We capture the off-shell as well as the on-shell nilpotent Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) and anti-BRST symmetry invariance of the Lagrangian densities of the four (3 + 1)-dimensional (4D) (non-)Abelian 1-form gauge theories within the framework of the superfield formalism. In particular, we provide the geometrical interpretations for (i) the above nilpotent symmetry invariance, and (ii) the above Lagrangian densities, in the language of the specific quantities defined in the domain of the above superfield formalism. Some of the subtle points, connected with the 4D (non-)Abelian 1-form gauge theories, are clarified within the framework of the above superfield formalism where the 4D ordinary gauge theories are considered on the (4, 2)-dimensional supermanifold parametrized by the four spacetime coordinates x^\mu (with \mu = 0, 1, 2, 3) and a pair of Grassmannian variables \theta and \bar\theta. One of the key results of our present investigation is a great deal of simplification in the geometrical understanding of the nilpotent (anti-)BRST symmetry invariance.