Dynamical supersymmetry breaking and gauge anomalies

Some aspects of supersymmetric gauge theories and discussed. It is shown that dynamical supersymmetry breaking does not occur in supersymmetric QED in higher dimensions. The cancellation of both local (perturbative) and global (non-perturbative) gauge anomalies are also discussed in supersymmetric gauge theories. We argue that there is no dynamical supersymmetry breaking in higher dimensions in any supersymmetric gauge theories free of gauge anomalies. It is also shown that for supersymmetric gauge theories in higher dimensions with a compact connected simple gauge group, when the local anomaly-free condition is satisfied, there can be at most a possibleZ ₂ global gauge anomaly in extended supersymmetricSO(10) (or spin (10)) gauge theories inD=10 dimensions containing additional Weyl fermions in a spinor representation ofSO(10) (or spin (10)). In four dimensions with local anomaly-free condition satisfied, the only possible global gauge anomalies in supersymmetric gauge theories areZ ₂ global gauge anomalies for extended supersymmetricSP(2N) (N=rank) gauge theories containing additional Weyl fermions in a representation ofSP(2N) with an odd 2nd-order Dynkin index.     

New avenues in supersymmetry and supergravity

We analyze the problem of constructing supersymmetric versions of gauge theories of particles and of gravity which have a closed supersymmetric algebra. Inparticular we present the basic no-go theorems that indicate that in four dimensions it is not possible to construct suitably extended supersymmetric versions of the above theories without drastic modification of the supersymmetric algebra. Two ways past the“N=3” barrier are discussed; that of central charges involved highly constrained versions which appearn difficult to quantize effectively, while the use of light-cone variables seems to be the most promising. We give light-cone gauge versions of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories for all extended cases of interest and briefly consider their ultraviolet divergence properties.     

Ultraviolet divergences in non-renormalizable supersymmetric theories

We present a pedagogical review of our current understanding of the ultraviolet structure of N = (1,1) 6D supersymmetric Yang–Mills theory and of N = 8 4D supergravity. These theories are not renormalizable, they involve power ultraviolet divergences and, in all probability, an infinite set of higherdimensional counterterms that contribute to on-mass-shell scattering amplitudes. A specific feature of supersymmetric theories (especially, of extended supersymmetric theories) is that these counterterms may not be invariant off shell under the full set of supersymmetry transformations. The lowest-dimensional nontrivial counterterm is supersymmetric on shell. Still higher counterterms may lose even the on-shell invariance. On the other hand, the full effective Lagrangian, generating the amplitudes and representing an infinite sum of counterterms, still enjoys the complete symmetry of original theory. We also discuss simple supersymmetric quantum-mechanical models that exhibit the same behaviour.     

Supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models constrained on non-compact manifold

A detailed analysis by 1/n expansion is presented of supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models in two dimensions withU(n) symmetry in which the scalar fields are constrained on a non-compact manifold. The theories are ultraviolet finite. In the massless version of the models no mass scale is generated and gauge bosons fail to get dynamics while this is possible provided the theory contains a mass scale. The effects of introduction of the “Ø-term” into supersymmetric theories are also discussed. In particular, it is argued that supersymmetry is broken by the Ø-term only in finite supersymmetric theories. Finally, a singular behavior in the massless limit in these models is pointed out.     

Quantum phase transitions beyond the Landau-Ginzburg paradigm and supersymmetry

We make connections between studies in the condensed matter literature on quantum phase transitions in square lattice antiferromagnets, and results in the particle theory literature on abelian supersymmetric gauge theories in 2 + 1 dimensions. In particular, we point out that supersymmetric U(1) gauge theories (with particle content similar, but not identical, to those of theories of doped antiferromagnets) provide rigorous examples of quantum phase transitions which do not obey the Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson paradigm (often referred to as transitions realizing “deconfined criticality”). We also make connections between supersymmetric mirror symmetries and condensed matter particle-vortex dualities.     

Supersymmetry and the Atiyah-Singer index theorem

Using a recently introduced index for supersymmetric theories, we present a simple derivation of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem for classical complexes and itsG-index generalization using elementary properties of quantum mechanical supersymmetric systems.     

Black holes and groups of type E 7

We report some results on the relation between extremal black holes in locally supersymmetric theories of gravity and groups of type E ₇, appearing as generalized electric-magnetic duality symmetries in such theories. Some basics on the covariant approach to the stratification of the relevant symplectic representation are reviewed, along with a connection between special K?hler geometry and a ??generalization?? of groups of type E ₇.     

Dynamics of compositeW-bosons

We derive some constraints among the masses and couplings of theW-bosons and the vacuum condensates of some non-supersymmetric and supersymmetric theories where theW are composite particles. We deduce that in a theory where the value of the hypergluon condensate is much smaller than the value of the compositeness scale (like in the case of an unbroken supersymmetry), theW-bosons cannot be composite.     

Critical dimensions for strings,bags,...

Consider extendedd-dimensional objects such as strings (d=1), membranes (d=2), ... It is argued that their quantum theories cannot be consistent in space-times of dimension exceeding the critical valueD=2+24/d (orD=2+8/d in the supersymmetric case). This rules out consistent theories for objects extended in more than 5 (3 in the supersymmetric case) space-like dimensions.     

Spontaneous supersymmetry breaking by large-N matrices

Motivated by supersymmetry breaking in matrix model formulations of superstrings, we present some concrete models, in which the supersymmetry is preserved for any finite N, but gets broken at infinite N, where N is the rank of matrix variables. The models are defined as supersymmetric field theories coupled to some matrix models, and in the induced action obtained after integrating out the matrices, supersymmetry is spontaneously broken only when N is infinity. In our models, the large value of N gives a natural explanation for the origin of small parameters appearing in the field theories which trigger the supersymmetry breaking.     

Supersymmetry and 't Hooft's twisted functional integral

't Hooft's twisted functional integral is exactly calculable in the supersymmetric version of the SU(N) gauge theories, provided that one uses periodic (up to gauge transformations) boundary conditions for fermions. The solution has in a sense light magnetic fluxes and heavy electric ones, and thus, it is consistent with confinement (but not a proof of it). This is an evidence of the fact that confinement is not ruled out by the absence of vacuum condensates in these supersymmetric gauge theories.     

Structure of the exact effective action and quark confinement in MSSM QCD

An expression for the exact (beyond perturbation theory) effective action in N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories where all particles, with the exception of gauge bosons, are massive is proposed. By analyzing the form of this expression, it is shown that, in supersymmetric theories, instanton effects can lead to quark confinement. On the basis of first principles, the characteristic scale of confinement is calculated within MSSM QCD, and the result is found to be consistent with experimental data. The proposed explanation differs drastically with the dual Higgs mechanism.     

Cohomological methods in conventionalN=2 superspace

The cohomological methods of Girardi, Grimm and Stora are extended to supersymmetric gauge theories formulated in conventionalN=2 superspace.     

Topological defects in CFT

Areview of the notion, properties and the use of topological defects in 2d conformal field theories is presented. An emphasis is made on the recent interpretation of such operators in non-rational theories, as describing Wilson-’t Hooft loop operators of N = 2 supersymmetric 4d topological theories.     

Supersymmetric matter gravitino multiplets

We construct all on-shell, massless, supersymmetric multiplets with maximum field spin three-halves. The supergeometry of these theories is developed. We study the off-shell N = 1 matter gravitino multiplet and exhibit the supergeometries of the known theories. Explicit superfield constructions for two new off-shell theories are presented.     

Interplay between grand unification and supersymmetry in <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">SU</Emphasis>(5) and <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">E</Emphasis> <Subscript> <Emphasis Type="Bold">6</Emphasis> </Subscript>

Some aspects of minimal supersymmetric renormalizable grand unified theories are reviewed here. These include some constraints on the model parameters from the Higgs and light fermion masses in SU(5), and the issues of symmetry breaking, doublet–triplet splitting and fermion masses in E₆.     

On goldstone fields in supersymmetric theories

Some aspects concerning the spontaneous breakdown of global internal symmetries in N = 1 supersymmetric theories are discussed. They can be relevant in the context of supersymmetric preon models. We emphasize the connection of Goldstone dynamics to the linear model. Several statements about the number of Goldstone fields are made. The structure of non-linear lagrangians is discussed. In addition, we consider questions concerning complementarity.     

Spectrum of boundary states in N=1 SUSY sine-Gordon theory

We consider N=1 supersymmetric sine-Gordon theory (SSG) with supersymmetric integrable boundary conditions (boundary SSG=BSSG). We find two possible ways to close the boundary bootstrap for this model, corresponding to two different choices for the boundary supercharge. We argue that these two bootstrap solutions should correspond to the two integrable Lagrangian boundary theories considered recently by Nepomechie.