Exceptional Vertex Operator Algebras and the Virasoro Algebra

Abstract

We consider exceptional vertex operator algebras for which particular Casimir vectors constructed from the primary vectors of lowest conformal weight are Virasoro descendants of the vacuum. We discuss constraints on these theories that follow from an analysis of appropriate genus zero and genus one two point correlation functions. We find explicit differential equations for the partition function in the cases where the lowest weight primary vectors form a Lie algebra or a Griess algebra. Examples include the Wess-Zumino-Witten model for Deligne's exceptional Lie algebras and the Moonshine Module. We partially verify the irreducible decomposition of the tensor product of Deligne's exceptional Lie algebras and consider the possibility of similar decompositions for tensor products of the Griess algebra. We briefly discuss some conjectured extremal vertex operator algebras arising in Witten's recent work on three dimensional black holes.