Non-Chiral Logarithmic Couplings for the Virasoro Algebra

This Letter initiates the study of what we call non-chiral staggered Virasoro modules, indecomposable modules on which two copies of the Virasoro algebra act with the two zero-modes acting non-semisimply. This is motivated by the "puzzle" recently reported in arXiv:1110.1327 [math-ph] involving a non-standard measured value, meaning that the value is not familiar from chiral studies, for the "b-parameter" (logarithmic coupling) of a c=0 bulk conformal field theory. Here, an explanation is proposed by introducing a natural family of bulk modules and showing that the only consistent, non-standard logarithmic coupling that is distinguished through structure is that which was measured. This observation is shown to persist for general central charges and a conjecture is made for the values of certain non-chiral logarithmic couplings.Comment: 10 pages; v2: 11 pages, some modifications to introduction, added conclusions and reference

sl(2)_{-1/2} and the Triplet Model

Conformal field theories with sl(2)_{-1/2} symmetry are studied with a view to investigating logarithmic structures. Applying the parafermionic coset construction to the non-logarithmic theory, a part of the structure of the triplet model is uncovered. In particular, the coset theory is shown to admit the triplet W-algebra as a chiral algebra. This motivates the introduction of an augmented sl(2)_{-1/2}-theory for which the corresponding coset theory is precisely the triplet model. This augmentation is envisaged to lead to a precise characterisation of the "logarithmic lift" of the non-logarithmic sl(2)_{-1/2}-theory that has been proposed by Lesage et al.Comment: 27 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; v2 added refs to vertex algebra literature and a few comment

Fusion in Fractional Level sl^(2)-Theories with k=-1/2

The fusion rules of conformal field theories admitting an sl^(2)-symmetry at level k=-1/2 are studied. It is shown that the fusion closes on the set of irreducible highest weight modules and their images under spectral flow, but not when "highest weight" is replaced with "relaxed highest weight". The fusion of the relaxed modules, necessary for a well-defined u^(1)-coset, gives two families of indecomposable modules on which the Virasoro zero-mode acts non-diagonalisably. This confirms the logarithmic nature of the associated theories. The structures of the indecomposable modules are completely determined as staggered modules and it is shown that there are no logarithmic couplings (beta-invariants). The relation to the fusion ring of the c=-2 triplet model and the implications for the beta gamma ghost system are briefly discussed.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures; v2 - added a ref and deleted a paragraph from the conclusion

From Jack polynomials to minimal model spectra

In this note, a deep connection between free field realisations of conformal field theories and symmetric polynomials is presented. We give a brief introduction into the necessary prerequisites of both free field realisations and symmetric polynomials, in particular Jack symmetric polynomials. Then we combine these two fields to classify the irreducible representations of the minimal model vertex operator algebras as an illuminating example of the power of these methods. While these results on the representation theory of the minimal models are all known, this note exploits the full power of Jack polynomials to present significant simplifications of the original proofs in the literature.Comment: 14 pages, corrected typos and added comment on connections to the AGT conjecture in introduction, version to appear in J. Phys.

Relating the Archetypes of Logarithmic Conformal Field Theory

Logarithmic conformal field theory is a rich and vibrant area of modern mathematical physics with well-known applications to both condensed matter theory and string theory. Our limited understanding of these theories is based upon detailed studies of various examples that one may regard as archetypal. These include the c=-2 triplet model, the Wess-Zumino-Witten model on SL(2;R) at level k=-1/2, and its supergroup analogue on GL(1|1). Here, the latter model is studied algebraically through representation theory, fusion and modular invariance, facilitating a subsequent investigation of its cosets and extended algebras. The results show that the archetypes of logarithmic conformal field theory are in fact all very closely related, as are many other examples including, in particular, the SL(2|1) models at levels 1 and -1/2. The conclusion is then that the archetypal examples of logarithmic conformal field theory are practically all the same, so we should not expect that their features are in any way generic. Further archetypal examples must be sought.Comment: 37 pages, 2 figures, several diagrams; v2 added a few paragraphs and reference

Logarithmic Conformal Field Theory: Beyond an Introduction

This article aims to review a selection of central topics and examples in logarithmic conformal field theory. It begins with a pure Virasoro example, critical percolation, then continues with a detailed exposition of symplectic fermions, the fractional level WZW model on SL(2;R) at level -1/2 and the WZW model on the Lie supergroup GL(1|1). It concludes with a general discussion of the so-called staggered modules that give these theories their logarithmic structure, before outlining a proposed strategy to understand more general logarithmic conformal field theories. Throughout, the emphasis is on continuum methods and their generalisation from the familiar rational case. In particular, the modular properties of the characters of the spectrum play a central role and Verlinde formulae are evaluated with the results compared to the known fusion rules. Moreover, bulk modular invariants are constructed, the structures of the corresponding bulk state spaces are elucidated, and a formalism for computing correlation functions is discussed.Comment: Invited review by J Phys A for a special issue on LCFT; v2 updated references; v3 fixed a few minor typo

Modular Transformations and Verlinde Formulae for Logarithmic (p+,p−)(p_+,p_-)-Models

The $(p_+,p_-)$ singlet algebra is a vertex operator algebra that is strongly generated by a Virasoro field of central charge $1-6(p_+-p_-)^2/p_+p_-$ and a single Virasoro primary field of conformal weight $(2p_+-1)(2p_--1)$. Here, the modular properties of the characters of the uncountably many simple modules of each singlet algebra are investigated and the results used as the input to a continuous analogue of the Verlinde formula to obtain the "fusion rules" of the singlet modules. The effect of the failure of fusion to be exact in general is studied at the level of Verlinde products and the rules derived are lifted to the $(p_+,p_-)$ triplet algebras by regarding these algebras as simple current extensions of their singlet cousins. The result is a relatively effortless derivation of the triplet "fusion rules" that agrees with those previously proposed in the literature.Comment: 22 pages, v2 minor changes; added ref

Fusion rules for the logarithmic N=1N=1 superconformal minimal models II: including the Ramond sector

The Virasoro logarithmic minimal models were intensively studied by several groups over the last ten years with much attention paid to the fusion rules and the structures of the indecomposable representations that fusion generates. The analogous study of the fusion rules of the $N=1$ superconformal logarithmic minimal models was initiated in arXiv:1504.03155 as a continuum counterpart to the lattice explorations of arXiv:1312.6763. These works restricted fusion considerations to Neveu-Schwarz representations. Here, this is extended to include the Ramond sector. Technical advances that make this possible include a fermionic Verlinde formula applicable to logarithmic conformal field theories and a twisted version of the fusion algorithm of Nahm and Gaberdiel-Kausch. The results include the first construction and detailed analysis of logarithmic structures in the Ramond sector.Comment: 42 pages, 7 figures; v2 fixed minor typos and added a little more explanatory materia

The Verlinde formula in logarithmic CFT

In rational conformal field theory, the Verlinde formula computes the fusion coefficients from the modular S-transformations of the characters of the chiral algebra's representations. Generalising this formula to logarithmic models has proven rather difficult for a variety of reasons. Here, a recently proposed formalism (arXiv:1303.0847 [hep-th]) for the modular properties of certain classes of logarithmic theories is reviewed, and refined, using simple examples. A formalism addressing fusion rules in simple current extensions is also reviewed as a means to tackle logarithmic theories to which the proposed modular formalism does not directly apply.Comment: 12 pages, proceedings article for the 30th ICGTMP (Ghent, 2014); v2 fixed an erroneous statement pointed out by Antun Milas; v3 made a few minor clarifications to discussion and added a couple of ref