Unified study of planar field theories

A "master" gauge theory is constructed in 2 + I-dimensions through which various gauge invariant and gauge non-invariant theories can be studied. In particular, Maxwell-Chem-Simons, Maxwell-Proca, and Maxwell-Chern-Simons-Proca models are considered here. The master theory in an enlarged phase space is constructed both in Lagrangian (Stuckelberg) and Hamiltonian (Batalin-Tyutin) frameworks, the latter being the more general one, which includes the former as a special case. Subsequently, BRST quantization of the latter is performed. Last, the master Lagrangian, constructed by S. Deser and R. Jackiw (1984, Phys. Lett. B 139, 371), to show the equivalence between the Maxwell-Chem-Simons and the self-dual model, is also reproduced from our Batalin-Tyutin extended model. A symplectic quantization procedure for constraint systems is adopted in the last demonstration. (C) 2001 Academic Press.