Showing papers by "David Ridout published in 2020"

Tensor Categories arising from the Virasoro Algebra

Abstract: We show that there is a braided tensor category structure on the category of $C_1$-cofinite modules for the (universal or simple) Virasoro vertex operator algebras of arbitrary central charge. In the generic case of central charge $c=13-6(t+t^{-1})$, with $t otin \mathbb{Q}$, we prove semisimplicity, rigidity and non-degeneracy and also compute the fusion rules of this tensor category.

A realisation of the Bershadsky--Polyakov algebras and their relaxed modules

Abstract: We present a realisation of the universal/simple Bershadsky--Polyakov vertex algebras as subalgebras of the tensor product of the universal/simple Zamolodchikov vertex algebras and an isotropic lattice vertex algebra. This generalises the realisation of the universal/simple affine vertex algebras associated to $\mathfrak{sl}_2$ and $\mathfrak{osp}(1|2)$ given in arXiv:1711.11342. Relaxed highest-weight modules are likewise constructed, conditions for their irreducibility are established, and their characters are explicitly computed, generalising the character formulae of arXiv:1803.01989.

Representations of the Nappi--Witten vertex operator algebra

Abstract: The Nappi-Witten model is a Wess-Zumino-Witten model in which the target space is the nonreductive Heisenberg group $H_4$. We consider the representation theory underlying this conformal field theory. Specifically, we study the category of weight modules, with finite-dimensional weight spaces, over the associated affine vertex operator algebra $\mathsf{H}_4$. In particular, we classify the irreducible $\mathsf{H}_4$-modules in this category and compute their characters. We moreover observe that this category is nonsemisimple, suggesting that the Nappi-Witten model is a logarithmic conformal field theory.

Classifying relaxed highest-weight modules for admissible-level Bershadsky-Polyakov algebras

Abstract: The Bershadsky-Polyakov algebras are the minimal quantum hamiltonian reductions of the affine vertex algebras associated to $\mathfrak{sl}_3$ and their simple quotients have a long history of applications in conformal field theory and string theory. Their representation theories are therefore quite interesting. Here, we classify the simple relaxed highest-weight modules, with finite-dimensional weight spaces, for all admissible but nonintegral levels, significantly generalising the known highest-weight classifications [arXiv:1005.0185, arXiv:1910.13781]. In particular, we prove that the simple Bershadsky-Polyakov algebras with admissible nonintegral $\mathsf{k}$ are always rational in category $\mathscr{O}$, whilst they always admit nonsemisimple relaxed highest-weight modules unless $\mathsf{k}+\frac{3}{2} \in \mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}$.