ANYONS, SPIN, AND STATISTICS IN (2-DIMENSIONAL U(1)-SCALAR CHERN-SIMONS GAUGE FIELD-THEORY(1))

We present a detailed analysis of the quantum field theory of a Chem-S imons field coupled mimimally to massive charged bosonic matter. This analysis is carried out in the Coulomb and covariant gauges. Some aspe cts concerning the transformation law of the fields under Poincare tra nsformations are clarified. Emphasis is placed on gauge-invariant oper ators. The order and disorder operators are constructed from their dua l algebra. The order operator is shown to obey anyonic statistics. The correlator of the disorder operator is computed in the large boson-ma ss limit, and the corresponding cluster properties are discussed. In t he absence of a symmetry-breaking Higgs potential, there is no evidenc e for the ground state being anyonic.