G/G models as the strong coupling limit of topologically massive gauge theory Original Research Article

We show that the problem of computing the vacuum expectation values of gauge-invariant operators in the strong coupling limit of topologically massive gauge theory is equivalent to the problem of computing similar operators in the Gk/G model where k is the integer coefficient of the Chem-Simons term. The Gk/G model is a topological field theory 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 temperature is a perturbed, non-topological Gk/G model. In this model, we compute the one-loop effective potential for the Polyakov loop operators and explicitly construct the low-lying excited states. In the strong coupling limit the theory is in a deconfined phase.