Quantum version of the N = 8 superconformal algebra Original Research Article

The quantized form of the soft N = 8 superconformal algebra is investigated. Its operator product expansions are shown to exhibit a one-parameter-class of (soft) anomalies, which may be arbitrarily shifted by certain suitable quantum corrections of the generators. In particular, the BRST operator can be constructed and made nilpotent in the quantum version of all known realizations of the algebra. This generalizes the results of Cederwall and Preitschopf, who studied the Ŝ7-part that is contained as a soft affine subalgebra in the superconformal algebra. A Fock-space representation is given that is forced to be somewhat unusual in certain modes.