Super Liouville theory on the torus: bootstrap and the super Virasoro minimal string

Abstract

Motivated by applications to low-dimensional worldsheet string constructions, we analyze $\mathcal{N} = 1$ super Liouville theory on the torus. Specifically, we re-examine the recursive representations of the torus one-point super Virasoro blocks that have been constructed in the literature and correct several of their ingredients. In the process we identify a new block in the odd spin structure, associated with a privileged superdescendant whose torus one-point function transforms like that of a Virasoro primary. We then demonstrate that the structure constants for both spacelike and timelike super Liouville theory satisfy modular crossing. Furthermore, we use a bootstrap argument to construct modular crossing kernels for all four spin structure sectors, valid for central charges $c \in \mathbb{C}\setminus(-\infty,\tfrac{3}{2}]$, and verify that they correctly implement the crossing transformations of the blocks. As a concrete application of the technology, we analyze the super Virasoro minimal string. There are four such theories, $\mathrm{0A}^{\pm}$ and $\mathrm{0B}^{\pm}$, which are distinguished by the GSO projection together with the choice of worldsheet supercharge. The resulting NS-sector sphere three-point and torus one-point amplitudes are shown to agree with topological recursion on the spectral curves of the dual matrix integrals, which were recently derived from 3d supergravity. Notably, the one-point function of the privileged superdescendant plays an essential role in the contribution of the odd spin structure to the torus amplitude via a careful treatment of the picture changing operator. We also identify an exceptional zero-momentum Ramond insertion in the $\mathrm{0A}^{-}$ theory that we interpret geometrically as a Ramond puncture, and match its mixed sphere three-point amplitude to the corresponding intersection theory prediction.