A Siegel-type chiral p-form action is proposed in D=2(p+1) spacetime dimensions. The approach we adopt is to realize the symmetric second-rank Lagrange-multiplier field, introduced in Siegel's action, in terms of a normalized multiplication of two (q+1)- form fields with q indices of each field contracted in the even p case, or of two pairs of (q+1)- form fields with q indices of each pair of fields contracted in the odd p case, where the (q+1)- form fields are of external derivatives of one auxiliary q-form field for the former, or of a pair of auxiliary q-form fields for the latter. Using this action, it is straightforward to deduce the recently constructed PST action for q equal to zero. It is found that the Siegel-type chiral p-form action with a fixed p (even or odd) is doubly self-dual in D=2(p+1) spacetime dimensions when the auxiliary field(s) is/are also chosen to be of p-form. This result includes PST's as a special case where only the chiral 0-form action is doubly self-dual in D=2 dimensions.  2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The duality symmetries of various chiral boson actions are investigated using D=2 and D=6 space-time dimensions as examples. These actions involve the Siegel, Floreanini-Jackiw, Srivastava and Pasti-Sorokin-Tonin formulations. We discover that the Siegel, Floreanini-Jackiw and Pasti-Sorokin-Tonin actions have self-duality with respect to a common anti-dualization of chiral boson fields in D=2 and D56 dimensions, respectively, while the Srivastava action is self-dual with respect to a generalized dualization of chiral boson fields. Moreover, the action of the Floreanini-Jackiw chiral bosons interacting with gauge fields in D=2 dimensions also has self-duality but with respect to a generalized anti-dualization of chiral boson fields.