CONFINEMENT IN PARTIALLY BROKEN ABELIAN CHERN-SIMONS THEORIES

Planar Chern-Simons (CS) theories in which a compact abelian gauge gro up U(1) x U(1) is spontaneously broken to U(1) x Z(N) are investigated . Among other things, it is noted that the theories just featuring the mixed CS term coupling the broken to the unbroken U(1) gauge fields i n general exhibits an interesting form of confinement: only particles carrying certain multiples of the fundamental magnetic vortex flux uni t and certain multiples of the fundamental charge of the unbroken U(1) gauge field can appear as free particles. Adding the usual CS term fo r the broken U(1) gauge fields does not change much. It merely leads t o additional Aharonov-Bohm interactions among these particles. Upon in troducing the CS term for the unbroken U(1) gauge fields, in contrast, the confinement phenomenon completely disappears. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience B.V.