COVARIANT QUANTIZATION OF ANTISYMMETRIC TENSOR GAUGE-FIELDS

Covariant quantization of the antisymmetric tensor field Bμν with gauge transformation δBμν=δμξν-δν ξμ reveals two unusual features. Firstly, one mode in the covariant Bμν propagator is not cancelled by a Faddeev-Popov ghost but instead decouples by itself as a consequence of Ward identities. This is analogous to the spin 3 2 field ψμ. Secondly, the Faddeev-Popov ghost lagrangian is itself gauge invariant and requires further commuting ghosts for its covariant quantization. These features are exhibited by a diagrammatic analysis of unitarity. © 1979.