The chiral anomaly in supersymmetric gauge theories coupled to supergravity

We extend a previously developed algebraic-cohomological method to calculate an explicit form of the consistent chiral anomaly in a SYM theory coupled to N = 1 supergravity.     

Instanton effects in supersymmetric gauge theories

We investigate how in supersymmetric gauge theories non-perturbative effects are able to generate non-trivial vacuum properties otherwise forbidden by perturbative non-renormalization theorems. This conclusion can be reliably drawn since the constancy of certain Green functions — due to supersymmetry (SUSY) — allows one to connect vacuum-dominated large distances with short-distance behaviour which is reliably computed by instanton methods. In all the cases we discuss (without matter, with massive or massless matter in real representations and, finally, with matter in complex representations) instanton calculations imply the occurrence of a variety of condensates. For the pure SUSY gauge theory, a gluino condensate induces the spontaneous breaking of Z_2N. For massive super-quantum chromodynamics (SQCD) we find a peculiar mass dependence of matter condensates whose origin is traced to mass singularities of non-zero mode instanton contributions. These contributions force the massless limit of SQCD to differ from the strictly massless case, in which the spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetries is induced. Inconsistency with an anomaly equation forces either infinite matter condensates or spontaneous SUSY breaking in the massless cases. For non-constant Green functions, instantons are shown to provide new calculable short-distance singularities of an obvious non-perturbative nature.     

Non-perturbative aspects in supersymmetric gauge theories

We review our present understanding of those non-perturbative features of supersymmetric gauge theories that are believed to determine the properties of their ground states (vacua). A wide variety of theories is discussed in detail: pure Yang-Mills, theories with massive or massless real matter fields, theories with chiral matter, both for SU(N) and for the case of a general compact gauge group (as for instance E₈). Depending on some general features of the theory under consideration, various (perhaps) unexpected phenomena are shown to occur. Among these the breakdown of the (perturbatively established) non-renormalization theorem, the occurrence of runaway vacua in certain limits, the spontaneous dynamical breaking of supersymmetry itself in some chiral theories. Throughout the report we restrict ourselves to the confining picture instanton method, occasionally complementing it with the information coming from chiral and supersymmetric Ward-Takahashi identities. We compare our results with the ones suggested earlier by effective Lagrangian methods and, only briefly, with those obtained by other groups in the Higgs picture.     

Vacuum alignment in supersymmetric gauge theories

The vacuum alignment problem is analyzed in the context of supersymmetric gauge theories with dynamical symmetry breaking. Three cases are distinguished, depending on whether the vacuum expectation value of the weak gauge current superfield in vacuum characterized by the orientation Ω is zero for all Ω, for some Ω, or for no Ω. In the first case, a non-renormalization theorem is proved to all orders in the weak coupling, showing that the usual criterion of minimizing the vacuum energy density is insufficient to determine the alignment, and possible resolutions of the problem are discussed. The second case is similar, except that the possible alignments are resricted to the range of Ω giving a vanishing VEV and the weak gauge group may then be broken non-minimally. In the third case, supersymmetry is itself broken at the tree level by the weak interactions. The supersymmetric generalization of the Schwinger mechanism for dynamical mass generation is described.     

Supercurrent anomaly in non-abelian supersymmetric theories

A method for regularizing the supercurrent, preserving both gauge invariance and supersymmetry is developed, using point-splitting regularization and path-dependent phase factors in superspace. The supercurrent anomaly for general non-abelian supersymmetric theories is obtained on the mass-shell in the one-loop approximation.     

Dimensional regularization and the two-loop axial anomaly in abelian,non-abelian and supersymmetric gauge theories

The two-loop corrections to the axial anomaly are calculated for a non-abelian gauge theory with fermions using both conventional and supersymmetric dimensional regularization. In both cases we find results consistent with the Adler-Bardeen theorem if we use non-anticommuting γ⁵ of 't Hooft and Veltman. Expectations (based on the supermultiplet structure of the anomalies) that there exists in N = 1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory an axial current J⁵ such that $\text{?·J}{}^5\text{～ β(g)F}\text{F}\text{?}$ are discussed.     

Superspace Ward identities in supersymmetric gauge theories

In superspace formulation of supersymmetric gauge theories, gauge invariance requires an infinite set of identities between the infinite set of renormalization constants. Using Ward identities in superspace, the same is derived. These identities at one loop level are also demonstrated.     

Anomaly matching conditions in supersymmetric gauge theories

Sufficient conditions are proven for 't Hooft's consistency conditions to hold at points in the moduli space of supersymmetric gauge theories. Known results for anomaly matching in supersymmetric QCD are rederived as a sample application of the results. The results can be used to show that the anomaly matching conditions hold for s-confining theories.     

Consequences of the non-abelian anomaly in supersymmetric theories

In supersymmetric theories, the anomalous interactions involving the Goldstone supermultiplets are found not to be determined from symmetry considerations alone: they depend also on the dynamical details of the model. The origin of the unexpected results lies in the presence of the massless fermionic superpartners of the Goldstone bosons. For example, the decay π⁰ → γγ is found to be suppressed in supersymmetric QCD (SQCD). Low-energy effective actions with the correct symmetry properties are constructed, taking SQCD as an illustrative example. The axion decay a → γγ in a supersymmetric composite model might be suppressed with the same mechanism that works for π⁰ → γγ in SQCD.     

A superloop approach to supersymmetric gauge theories

A supersymmetric extension of the loop equations of motion in gauge theories is presented. The ansatz used for solving these superloop equations has the form of an average of the superloop product — supersymmetric path-dependent phase factor. The averaging action is determined by the superloop equations themselves. An example of the abelian spinor gauge superfield is considered in some detail.     

Patterns of symmetry breaking in supersymmetric gauge theories

We give a group-theoretical analysis of the spontaneous breaking of the gauge group in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with unbroken supersymmetry.     

Superpropagators for broken supersymmetric abelian gauge theories

By considering an arbitrary globally supersymmetric abelian gauge theory, the most general shifts on the matter and gauge superfields are performed, the superpropagators are derived and employed for discussing the structure of the terms generated into the effective action.