STAGGERED FERMIONS FOR CHIRAL GAUGE-THEORIES - TEST ON A 2-DIMENSIONAL AXIAL-VECTOR MODEL

As a first step towards constructing chiral models on the lattice with staggered fermions, we study a U(1) model with axial-vector coupling to an external gauge field in two dimensions. In our approach gauge in variance is broken, but it is restored in the classical continuum limi t. We find that the continuum divergence relations for the vector and axial-vector currents are reproduced, up to contact terms, which we de termine analytically. The current divergence relations are also studie d numerically for smooth external gauge fields with topological charge zero. We furthermore investigate the effect of fluctuating gauge tran sformations and of gauge configurations with non-trivial topological c harge.