On the effective potential in higher-derivatives superfield theories

We study the one-loop quantum corrections for higher-derivative superfield theories, generalizing the approach for calculating the superfield effective potential. In particular, we calculate the effective potential for two versions of higher-derivative chiral superfield models. We point out that the equivalence of the higher-derivative theory for the chiral superfield and the one without higher derivatives but with an extended number of chiral superfields occurs only when the mass term is contained in the general Lagrangian. The presence of divergences can be taken as an indication of that equivalence.     

Superstring-inspired supergravity as the universal source of inflation and quintessence

We prove (in superspace) the equivalence between the higher-derivative N=1$N=1$ supergravity, defined by a holomorphic function F of the chiral scalar curvature superfield, and the standard theory of a chiral scalar superfield with a chiral superpotential W, coupled to the (minimal) Poincaré supergravity in four spacetime dimensions. The relation between the holomorphic functions F and W is found. It can be used as the technical framework for the possible scenario unifying the early Universe inflation and the present Universe acceleration. We speculate on the possible origin of our model as the effective supergravity generated by quantum superstrings, with a dilaton–axion field as the leading field component of the chiral superfield.     

Green functions in a super self-dual Yang-Mills background

In euclidean supersymmetric theories of chiral superfields and vector superfields coupled to a super-self-dual Yang-Mills background, we define Green functions for the Laplace-type differential operators which are obtained from the quadratic part of the action. These Green functions are expressed in terms of the Green function on the space of right chiral superfields, and an explicit expression for the right chiral Green function in the fundamental representation of an SU(n) gauge group is presented using the supersymmetric version of the ADHM formalism. The superfield kernels associated with the Laplace-type operators are used to obtain the one-loop quantum corrections to the super-self-dual Yang-Mills action, and also to provide a superfield version of the super-index theorems for the components of chiral superfields in a self-dual background.     

Use of compensators to break supersymmetry in an N = 1 supergravity theory

We consider an N = 1 supergravity theory with multiple compensators and show that supersymmetry is broken by a solution to the equation of motion of a compensator. When a chiral scalar superfield is coupled to supergravity, we discuss various aspects of supersymmetry breaking and show that the super-Higgs-Kibble effect is operative. Possible applications of this mechanism of supersymmetry breaking in model building and extended supergravity theories are indicated.     

Consistency condition and Piguet-Sibold equations for the supersymmetric nonabelian chiral anomaly

The Wess-Zumino consistency condition is verified explicitly for the anomaly of a single chiral superfield coupling to a background scalar superfield, using the expression for the anomaly obtained by a direct perturbative calculation. The proof is next extended to a verification of the whole set of Piguet-Sibold equations.     

Gauge spinor superfield as scalar multiplet

A chiral spinor superfield, with an appropriate gauge invariance, describes a scalar multiplet consisting of a scalar, an antisymmetric-tensor gauge field, a Weyl spinor, and no auxiliary fields.     

Equivalence between supersymmetric self-dual and Maxwell–Chern–Simons models coupled to a matter spinor superfield

We study the duality of the supersymmetric self-dual and Maxwell–Chern–Simons theories coupled to a fermionic matter superfield, using a master action. This approach evades the difficulties inherent to the quartic couplings that appear when matter is represented by a scalar superfield. The price is that the spinorial matter superfield represents a unusual supersymmetric multiplet, whose main physical properties we also discuss.     

Quantized superfields

We construct quantized free superfields and represent them as operator‐valued distributions in Fock space starting with the Majorana field. We then analyse the algebras generated by free component quantum fields together with the Susy generators Q, . This enables us to obtain the quantized chiral superfield by finite Susy transformation from its scalar component. To get hermitian superfields we study by the same method a second scalar field algebra from which various scalar superfields can be obtained by exponentiation. Next we investigate the vector algebra and use it to construct the massive vector superfield. Surprisingly enough, the result is totally different from the vector multiplet in the literature. It contains two hermitian four‐vector components instead of one and a spin‐3/2 field similar to the gravitino in supergravity.     

Unconstrained supersymmetry

This is a first step towards better superfield formulations of supersymmetric field theories. The simple Wess-Zumino model (including renormalizable interactions) is formulated in terms of an unconstrained, scalar superfield, obeying a wave equation that includes the square of the super Klein-Gordon operator. This wave equation is derived from an action principle, by unconstrained variation of the superfield. The physical content of the theory is the same as for the original formulation by Wess and Zumino, and the Feynman rules are identical to those of Grisaru, Roek and Siegel. Next, super electrodynamics, including minimal interactions with a scalar matter multiplet, is given a similar treatment. There is no need, in this case, to include higher derivatives in the Lagrangian. The matter field is an unconstrained, scalar superfield, and the gauge fields are also contained in an unconstrained, scalar superfield. The scattering matrix coincides with that of the conventional form of super electrodynamics with Wess-Zumino matter fields. Supersymmetric spinorial currents are found by simple and direct application of the Noetherian method, in superfield language. Conservation laws of the formD _a J ^a =0 (resp.D _a J ^ab =0) are derived from gauge invariance (resp. supersymmetry). Extension to super Yang-Mills theories is straightforward.On leave of absence from Universidad Complutense, Madrid. Permanent address: Department of Theoretical Physics, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.     

Quantization of chiral gauge theories in two-dimensions

It is shown that both abelian and non abelian chiral gauge theories in two dimensions can be made gauge invariant at the quantum level by adding a scalar field. In the bosonized form of the theory, the scalar field appears in a gauged Wess-Zumino action. The current algebra of the extended abelian theory is shown to be free of anomalous terms.     

Gauge theory in deformed $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = (1, 1) superspace

We review the non-anticommutative Q-deformations of = (1, 1) supersymmetric theories in four-dimensional Euclidean harmonic superspace. These deformations preserve chirality and harmonic Grassmann analyticity. The associated field theories arise as a low-energy limit of string theory in specific backgrounds and generalize the Moyal-deformed supersymmetric field theories. A characteristic feature of the Q-deformed theories is the half-breaking of supersymmetry in the chiral sector of the Euclidean superspace. Our main focus is on the chiral singlet Q-deformation, which is distinguished by preserving the SO(4) ∼ Spin(4) “Lorentz” symmetry and the SU(2) R-symmetry. We present the superfield and component structures of the deformed = (1, 0) supersymmetric gauge theory as well as of hypermultiplets coupled to a gauge superfield: invariant actions, deformed transformation rules, and so on. We discuss quantum aspects of these models and prove their renormalizability in the Abelian case. For the charged hypermultiplet in an Abelian gauge superfield background we construct the deformed holomorphic effective action. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

N = 1 superspace formulation of N = 2 and N = 4 super-Yang-Mills models with central charge

The component models of N = 2 and N = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories of Sohnius, Stelle and West are reformulated in terms of N = 1 superfields. The non-supersymmetric constraints are supersymmetrized generalizing the linear multiplet in the presence of the non-abelian gauge superfield and (in the N = 4 case) a doublet of chiral superfields. The extended supersymmetry transformations preserving constraints are explicitly given in terms of N = 1 superfields. We are able to introduce the constraints back into the lagrangian using superfield Lagrange multipliers. The on-shell equivalence of this formulation with the formulation of Fayet with one (for N = 2) and three (for N = 4) chiral superfields is shown. The abelian N = 2 model is worked out to show the connection between full superspace treatment and the N = 1 superfield formulation.     

One-loop effective potential in N=12 generic chiral superfield model

We obtain the one-loop quantum corrections to the Kählerian and superpotentials in the generic chiral superfield model on the nonanticommutative superspace. Unlike all previous works, we use a method which does not require to rewrite a star-product of superfields in terms of ordinary products. In the Kählerian potential sector the one-loop contributions are analogous to ones in the undeformed theory while in the chiral potential sector the quantum corrections contain a deformation parameter.     

Cohomological aspects of gauge theories: superfield formalism

Some of the key cohomological features of the two (1 + 1)-dimensional (2D) free Abelian- and self-interacting non-Abelian gauge theories (having no interaction with matter fields) are briefly discussed first in the language of symmetry properties of the Lagrangian densities and the same issues are subsequently addressed in the framework of superfield formulation on the four (2 + 2)-dimensional supermanifold. Special emphasis is laid on the on-shell- and off-shell nilpotent (co-)BRST symmetries that emerge after the application of (dual) horizontality conditions on the supermanifold. The (anti-)chiral superfields play a very decisive role in the derivation of the on-shell nilpotent symmetries. The study of the present superfield formulation leads to the derivation of some new symmetries for the Lagrangian density and the symmetric energy-momentum tensor. The topological nature of the above theories is captured in the framework of superfield formulation and the geometrical interpretations are provided for some of the topologically interesting quantities.     

Chiral fermions in 2d quantum gravity

Two theories of chiral fermions coupled to different quantum gravities in two dimensions are studied. One employs Jackiw's ansatz for classical gravity by introducing an auxiliary scalar, the other is based on the induced quantum gravity of Polyakov, which has no classical analogue. By investigating a localized theory of the effective action we show that in both cases a limited number of fermions of either chirality may couple consistently. It is stressed that the Weyl variable has to be quantized properly, which is related to recent work done on non-critical strings.     

Supersymmetric chiral normal coordinates

The (anti-) chiral Killing vectors of the supersymmetric Kähler manifold associated with the nonlinear realization of a global symmetry are used to define (anti-) chiral normal coordinates. This in turn leads to a background superfield expansion of the super-Kähler potential that is manifestly gauge invariant and supersymmetric. The chiral normal coordinates are further employed to construct a background superfield expansion for a locally gauge invariant supersymmetric action.     

Goldstino and sgoldstino in microscopic models and the constrained superfields formalism

We examine the exact relation between the superconformal symmetry breaking chiral superfield (X) and the goldstino superfield in microscopic models of an arbitrary Kahler potential (K) and in the presence of matter fields. We investigate the decoupling of the massive sgoldstino and scalar matter fields and the offshell/onshell-SUSY expressions of their superfields in terms of the fermions composites. For general K of two superfields, we study the properties of the superfield X after integrating out these scalar fields, to show that in the infrared it satisfies (offshell) the condition X³=0 and X²≠0. We then compare our results to those of the well-known method of constrained superfields discussed in the literature, based on the conjecture X²=0. Our results can be used in applications, to couple offshell the (s)goldstino fields to realistic models such as the MSSM.     

Renormalizable N = 2 Supersymmetric Gauge Theories

Renormalizable supersymmetric models of matter multiplets coupled to a Yang Mills multiplet are studied in the conventional N = 2 superspace. It is found that a consistent formulation of the Feynman rules in superspace requires the introduction of a compensator superfield in the matter sector. If the quantization is performed within the background superfield approach, the use of the compensator is confined to the quantum corrections. The ensuing ghost structure is analyzed and the non-renormalization beyond one-loop is demonstrated. We report an N = 2 superfield calculation of the one-loop β-function via the supercurrent anomaly and thereby derive as a byproduct the finiteness criterion for N = 2 non-Abelian gauge theories.