New integrable coset sigma models

Abstract

By using the general framework of affine Gaudin models, we construct a new class of integrable sigma models. They are defined on a coset of the direct product of $N$ copies of a Lie group over some diagonal subgroup and they depend on $3N-2$ free parameters. For $N=1$ the corresponding model coincides with the well-known symmetric space sigma model. Starting from the Hamiltonian formulation, we derive the Lagrangian for the $N=2$ case and show that it admits a remarkably simple form in terms of the classical $\mathcal{R}$-matrix underlying the integrability of these models. We conjecture that a similar form of the Lagrangian holds for arbitrary $N$. Specifying our general construction to the case of $SU(2)$ and $N=2$, and eliminating one of the parameters, we find a new three-parametric integrable model with the manifold $T^{1,1}$ as its target space. We further comment on the connection of our results with those existing in the literature.

43 pages. v2: published version, minor changes and references added