Supersymmetric W-algebras

Abstract

We develop a general theory of $W$-algebras in the context of supersymmetric vertex algebras. We describe the structure of $W$-algebras associated with odd nilpotent elements of Lie superalgebras in terms of their free generating sets. As an application, we produce explicit free generators of the $W$-algebra associated with the odd principal nilpotent element of the Lie superalgebra $\mathfrak{gl}(n+1|n).$