Superfield Approach to (Non-)local Symmetries for One-Form Abelian Gauge Theory

We exploit the geometrical superfield formalism to derive the local, covariant and continuous Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) symmetry transformations and the non-local, non-covariant and continuous dual-BRST symmetry transformations for the free Abelian one-form gauge theory in four (3+1)-dimensions (4D) of spacetime. Our discussion is carried out in the framework of BRST invariant Lagrangian density for the above 4D theory in the Feynman gauge. The geometrical origin and interpretation for the (dual-)BRST charges (and the transformations they generate) are provided in the language of translations of some superfields along the Grassmannian directions of the six (4 + 2)-dimensional supermanifold parametrized by the four spacetime and two Grassmannian variables. E-mail address: [email protected] Permanent Address: S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block-JD, Sector-III, Salt Lake, Kolkata–700 098, West Bengal, India.