$\hbar$-adic quantum vertex algebras and their modules

Abstract

This is a paper in a series to study vertex algebra-like structures arising from various algebras including quantum affine algebras and Yangians. In this paper, we study notions of $\hbar$-adic nonlocal vertex algebra and $\hbar$-adic (weak) quantum vertex algebra, slightly generalizing Etingof-Kazhdan's notion of quantum vertex operator algebra. For any topologically free $\C[[\h]]$-module $W$, we study $\hbar$-adically compatible subsets and $\hbar$-adically $\S$-local subsets of $(\End W)[[x,x^{-1}]]$. We prove that any $\hbar$-adically compatible subset generates an $\hbar$-adic nonlocal vertex algebra with $W$ as a module and that any $\hbar$-adically $\S$-local subset generates an $\hbar$-adic weak quantum vertex algebra with $W$ as a module. A general construction theorem of $\hbar$-adic nonlocal vertex algebras and $\hbar$-adic quantum vertex algebras is obtained. As an application we associate the centrally extended double Yangian of $\sl_{2}$ to $\hbar$-adic quantum vertex algebras.