Induced $W_\infty$ Gravity as a WZNW Model

Abstract

We derive the explicit form of the Wess-Zumino quantum effective action of chiral $\Winf$-symmetric system of matter fields coupled to a general chiral $\Winf$-gravity background. It is expressed as a geometric action on a coadjoint orbit of the deformed group of area-preserving diffeomorphisms on cylinder whose underlying Lie algebra is the centrally-extended algebra of symbols of differential operators on the circle. Also, we present a systematic derivation, in terms of symbols, of the "hidden" $SL(\infty;\IR)$ Kac-Moody currents and the associated $SL(\infty;\IR)$ Sugawara form of energy-momentum tensor component $T_{++}$ as a consequence of the $SL(\infty;\IR)$ stationary subgroup of the relevant $\Winf$ coadjoint orbit.