Intertwining operator superalgebras and vertex tensor categories for superconformal algebras, I

We apply the general theory of tensor products of modules for a vertex operator algebra (developed by Lepowsky and the first author) and the general theory of intertwining operator algebras (developed by the first author) to the case of the N = 1 superconformal minimal models and related models in superconformal field theory. We show that for the category of modules for a vertex operator algebra containing a subalgebra isomorphic to a tensor product of rational vertex operator superalgebras associated to the N = 1 Neveu-Schwarz Lie superalgebra, the intertwining operators among the modules have the associativity property, the category has a natural structure of vertex tensor category, and a number of related results hold. We obtain, as a corollary and special case, a construction of a braided tensor category structure on the category of finite direct sums of minimal modules of central charge c_p,q = 3/2(1 - 2 (p-q)²/pq) for the N = 1 Neveu-Schwarz Lie superalgebra for any fixed integers p, q larger than 1 such that p - q ∈ 2ℤ and (p - q)/2 and q relatively prime to each other.