Heat-Kernel Approach to the Overlap Formalism

Abstract

We present a new regularization method, for d dim (Euclidean) quantum field theories in the continuum formalism, based on the domain wall configuration in (1+d) dim space-time. It is inspired by the recent progress in the chiral fermions on lattice. The wall "height" is given by 1/M, where M is a regularization mass parameter and appears as a (1+d) dim Dirac fermion mass. The present approach gives a {\it thermodynamic view} to the domain wall or the overlap formalism in the lattice field theory. We will show qualitative correspondence between the present continuum results and those of lattice. The extra dimension is regarded as the (inverse) {\it temperature} t. The domains are defined by the {\it directions} of the "system evolvement", not by the sign of M as in the original overlap formalism. We take the 4 dim QED and 2 dim chiral gauge theory as examples. Especially the consistent and covariant anomalies are correctly obtained.