Classical Hamiltonian Reduction and Superconformal Algebras

Abstract

The Polyakov's "soldering procedure" which shows how two-dimensional diffeomorphisms can be obtained from SL(2,R) gauge transformations is discussed using the free-field representation of SL(2,R) current algebra. Using this formalism, the relation of Polyakov's method to that of the Hamiltonian reduction becomes transparent. This discussion is then generalised to N=1 superdiffeomorphisms which can be obtained from N=1 super Osp(1,2) gauge transformations. It is also demonstrated that the phase space of the Osp(2,2) supercurrent algebra represented by free superfields is connected to the classical phase space of N=2 superconformal algebra via Hamiltonian reduction.}