Extended Non-Abelian Gauge Symmetries in Classical WZNW Model

Abstract

The present paper is revised copy of hep-th/9303087 in which higher spin extensions of the nonabelian gauge symmetries for the classical WZNW model are considered. Both linear and nonlinear realizations of the extended affine Kac-Moody algebra are obtained. A characteristic property of the WZNW model is that it admits a higher spin linear realization of the extended affine Kac-Moody algebra which is equivalent to the corresponding higher spin nonlinear realization of the same algebra. However, in both cases the higher spin currents do not form an invariant space with respect to their generating transformations. This makes it imposible for this symmetry to be gauged.