CHIRAL DECOMPOSITION AS A SOURCE OF QUANTUM SYMMETRY IN THE ISING MODEL

Abstract

The superselection sectors of three closely related models are studied and compared. I. The full Ising model with observable algebra [Formula: see text], the universal algebra of local even CAR algebras on the circle. [Formula: see text] has four sectors with Z(2) × Z(2) symmetry. II. The chiral Ising model with observable algebra [Formula: see text] (c = L or R), which is the universal algebra of local even Majorana algebras, has three sectors with quantum symmetry Gc ≅ M1⊕M1⊕M2. The Mack-Schomerus endomorphism creating the non-Abelian sector of [Formula: see text], respectively of [Formula: see text] is shown to coincide with the restriction [Formula: see text], respectively [Formula: see text] of a Z (2) charge creating automorphism ρ of [Formula: see text]. III. As an intermediate step the superselection sectors of the algebra [Formula: see text] — which can be interpreted as the observable algebra of the conformal Ising model — are found to have ordinary group symmetry described by the dihedral group D4. The relation between the sectors of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is explained in terms of a strange 'symmetry breaking': symmetry enhancement in the Neveu-Schwarz sector and symmetry breaking in the Ramond. Covariant charged fields are constructed in all three cases and the truncation in Gc is shown to arise from the failure of the Cuntz algebra relations for the chiral charged fields.