\(\mathbb{N}\)-graded modules for \(\mathbb{Z}\)-graded modular vertex superalgebras (Q6170768)

Vertex operator superalgebras describe the chiral part of two-dimensional conformal field theories in physics. While one often restricts to the purely bosonic case, i.e. vertex operator algebras, vertex operator \textit{super}algebras capture both bosonic and fermionic fields. Moreover, while vertex operator (super)algebras are often considered over an (algebraically closed) field of characteristic zero, already Borcherds' original definition treated them over arbitrary fields. If the underlying field is of positive characteristic, one speaks of \textit{modular} vertex operator (super)algebras. Finally, in the theory of vertex operator superalgebras, a common distinction is between \(\frac{1}{2}\mathbb{Z}\)-graded vertex operator superalgebras whose parity is coupled to the integrality of the grading and \(\mathbb{Z}\)-graded vertex operator superalgebras where the parity is unrelated to the grading. The latter are realised, e.g., by affine vertex operator superalgebras, i.e.\ those associated with affinisations of Lie superalgebras. In this paper, the authors consider \(\mathbb{Z}\)-graded (modular) vertex operator superalgebras \(V\) over an arbitrary field \(\mathbb{F}\) of odd prime characteristic and the representation theory of these vertex operator superalgebras, or more precisely their \(\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}\)-graded modules. Both the fact that the considered vertex operator superalgebras are \(\mathbb{Z}\)-graded and of positive characteristic affects their representation theory, which is already manifest in the definition of the Zhu algebra \(A(V)\). On the technical side, the paper discusses the Zhu algebra theory for the above kind of modular vertex operator superalgebras \(V\) and establishes a bijection between irreducible \(A(V)\)-modules and \(\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}\)-graded, irreducible \(V\)-modules. The main class of examples treated in this text are the universal affine vertex operator superalgebras \(V_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\) (with level \(\ell\in\mathbb{F}\)) where \(\mathfrak{g}\) is a restricted Lie superalgebra (and \(\hat{\mathfrak{g}}\) its affinisation, which is again restricted) and a family of quotient vertex operator superalgebras \(V^\chi_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\) by certain ideals \(J_\chi\). The category of \(V_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\)-modules is equivalent to the category of locally truncated (called restricted or smooth in the characteristic-zero case) \(\hat{\mathfrak{g}}\)-modules of level \(\ell\). The authors then consider modules of the aforementioned quotient vertex operator superalgebras and give a necessary and sufficient condition for a locally truncated \(\hat{\mathfrak{g}}\)-module of level \(\ell\) to define a \(V^\chi_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\)-module. Finally, the paper studies the special case where the Lie superalgebra \(\mathfrak{g}=\mathfrak{g}_{\bar{1}}\) is purely odd (and finite-dimensional) and hence abelian or equivalently where \(\mathfrak{g}\) is just a symplectic vector space, i.e.\ an \(\mathbb{F}\)-vector space equipped with a non-degenerate, skew-symmetric bilinear form. This corresponds to the Clifford vertex operator superalgebra (or \(bc\)-system) in the characteristic-zero case, but \(V_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\) may now have non-trivial ideals. Indeed, the authors introduce a quotient vertex operator superalgebra \(L_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\) of \(V_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\) by an ideal \(J_\ell\). They prove that for \(\ell\in\mathbb{F}^\times\), the vertex operator superalgebra \(L_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\) is simple and holomorphic. The latter means that the only irreducible \(\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}\)-graded \(L_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\)-module is the adjoint module \(L_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\) itself and that all \(L_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\)-modules are isomorphic to a direct sum of copies of \(L_{\hat{\mathfrak{g}}}(\ell,0)\).