SU(N)- and SO(N)-invariant chiral fields: One- and two-dimensional subspaces

Applying the harmonic map ansatz we find new classes of SU(N) and SO(N) chi ral fields. We write the corresponding one- dimensional subgroups of SU(N) and SO(N) chiral fields in terms of one and two harmonic maps and the corre sponding two-dimensional subgroups in terms of SU(2) and SO(3) chiral field s. In other words, we reduce the SU(N) and SO( N) chiral equations to harmo nic maps in one- and two-dimensional spaces. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0022-2488(99)01204-9].