Parafermions from non-abelian coset models

We generalize an earlier work on conformal coset models to the case of a non-abelian factor group. Starting with the gauged Wess-Zumino-Witten lagrangian, we derive the associated parafermion fields and deduce their Poisson brackets. We then present an explicit classical realization of these fields in terms of path ordered exponentials of free currents that satisfy an affine Lie algebra. This construction can be viewed as a non-abelian generalization of the standard free field representation of parafermions. Finally, we extend the classical construction to the full quantum mechanical case. (orig.)