Ordinary modules for vertex algebras of $\mathfrak{osp}_{1|2n}$

Abstract

We show that the affine vertex superalgebra $V^k(\mathfrak{osp}_{1|2n})$ at generic level $k$ embeds in the equivariant $\mathcal W$-algebra of $\mathfrak{sp}_{2n}$ times $4n$ free fermions. This has two corollaries: (1) it provides a new proof that for generic $k$, the coset $\text{Com}(V^k(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n}), V^k(\mathfrak{osp}_{1|2n}))$ is isomorphic to $\mathcal W^\ell(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n})$ for $\ell = -(n+1) + \frac{k+n+1}{2k+2n+1}$, and (2) we obtain the decomposition of ordinary $V^k(\mathfrak{osp}_{1|2n})$-modules into $V^k(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n}) \otimes \mathcal W^\ell(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n})$-modules. Next, if $k$ is an admissible level and $\ell$ is a non-degenerate admissible level for $\mathfrak{sp}_{2n}$, we show that the simple algebra $L_k(\mathfrak{osp}_{1|2n})$ is an extension of the simple subalgebra $L_k(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n}) \otimes {\mathcal W}_{\ell}(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n})$. Using the theory of vertex superalgebra extensions, we prove that the category of ordinary $L_k(\mathfrak{osp}_{1|2n})$-modules is a semisimple, rigid vertex tensor supercategory with only finitely many inequivalent simple objects. It is equivalent to a certain subcategory of $\mathcal W_\ell(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n})$-modules. A similar result also holds for the category of Ramond twisted modules. Due to a recent theorem of Robert McRae, we get as a corollary that categories of ordinary $L_k(\mathfrak{sp}_{2n})$-modules are rigid.