Constructing N=2 Superconformal Algebras out of N=1 Affine Lie Algebras

Abstract

We study the problem of constructing N=2 superconformal algebras out of an N=1 affine Lie algebra. Following a recent independent observation of Getzler and the author, we derive a simplified set of N=2 master equations, which we then proceed to solve for the case of sl(2). There is a unique construction for all noncritical values of the level, which can be identified as the Kazama-Suzuki coset associated to the hermitian symmetric space SO(3)/SO(2). We also identify the construction with a generalized parafermionic construction or, after bosonization, with a bosonic construction of the type analyzed by Kazama and Suzuki. A mild generalization of this construction can be associated to any embedding of sl(2) in G.