A bstract We consider a class of smooth oriented Lorentzian manifolds in dimensions three and four which admit a nowhere vanishing conformal Killing vector and a closed two-form that is invariant under the Lie algebra of conformal Killing vectors. The invariant two-form is constrained in a particular way by the conformal geometry of the manifold. In three dimensions, the conformal Killing vector must be everywhere causal (or null if the invariant two-form vanishes identically). In four dimensions, the conformal Killing vector must be everywhere null and the invariant two-form vanishes identically if the geometry is everywhere of Petrov type N or O. To the conformal class of any such geometry, it is possible to assign a particular Lie superalgebra structure, called a conformal symmetry superalgebra. The even part of this superalgebra contains conformal Killing vectors and constant R-symmetries while the odd part contains (charged) twistor spinors. The largest possible dimension of a conformal symmetry superalgebra is realised only for geometries that are locally conformally flat. We determine precisely which non-trivial conformal classes of metrics admit a conformal symmetry superalgebra with the next largest possible dimension, and compute all the associated submaximal conformal symmetry superalgebras. In four dimensions, we also compute symmetry superalgebras for a class of Ricci-flat Lorentzian geometries not of Petrov type N or O which admit a null Killing vector.
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