2-EINSTEIN GRAVITY AS A DEFORMED CHERN-SIMONS THEORY(1)

The usual description of (2 + 1)-dimensional Einstein gravity as a Che rn-Simons (CS) theory is extended to a one parameter family of descrip tions of 2 + 1 Einstein gravity. This is done by replacing the Poincar e gauge group symmetry by a q-deformed Poincare gauge group symmetry, with the former symmetry recovered when q --> 1. As a result, we obtai n a one parameter family of Hamiltonian formulations for 2 + 1 gravity Although formulated in terms of noncommuting dreibeins and spin-conne ction fields, our expression for the action and our field equations, a ppropriately ordered, are identical in form to the ordinary ones. More over, starting with a properly defined metric tensor, the usual metric theory can be built; the Christoffel symbols and space-time curvature having the usual expressions in terms of the metric tensor, and being represented by c-numbers. In this article, we also couple the theory to particle sources, and find that these sources carry exotic angular momentum. Finally, problems related to the introduction of a cosmologi cal constant are discussed.