G G MODELS AS THE STRONG-COUPLING LIMIT OF TOPOLOGICALLY MASSIVE GAUGE-THEORY/

We show that the problem of computing the vacuum expectation values of gauge-invariant operators in the strong coupling limit of topological ly massive gauge theory is equivalent to the problem of computing simi lar operators in the G(k)/G model where k is the integer coefficient o f the Chern-Simons term. The G(k)/G model is a topological field theor y and many correlators can be computed analytically, We also show that the effective action for the Polyakov loop operator and static modes of the gauge fields of the strongly coupled theory at finite temperatu re is a perturbed, non-topological G(k)/G model. In this model, we com pute the one-loop effective potential for the Polyakov loop operators and explicitly construct the low-lying excited states, In the strong c oupling limit the theory is in a deconfined phase. (C) 1997 Elsevier S cience B.V.