N = 2 superconformal algebras and Jordan triple systems

Abstract

We give a construction of N = 2 superconformal algebras over hermitian Jordan triple systems (JTS). The N = 2 superconformal algebras obtained by this method correspond to realizations over hermitian symmetric spaces, which can be compact or non- compact. Over the hermitian JTS's one can construct a large class of N = 2 superconformal algebras with central charge c = 9, which characterize the “internal sector” of the four-dimensional superstring or heterotic string theories with N = 1 space-time supersymmetry.