Marginal deformations of WZW models and the classical Yang-Baxter equation

Abstract

We show how so-called Yang-Baxter (YB) deformations of sigma models, based on an R-matrix solving the classical Yang-Baxter equation (CYBE), give rise to marginal current-current deformations when applied to the Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) model. For non-compact groups these marginal deformations are more general than the ones usually considered, since they can involve a non-abelian current subalgebra. We classify such deformations of the AdS(3) x S(3) string.

29 pages; v2: Clarification of marginality condition from conformal pert. theory and of non-SUGRA solution (R4). Appendix E improved. Published version