On supersymmetry breaking in superstring theories

We show that non-zero gaugino condensates of several non-abelian gauge groups G₁⊗…⊗G_k∃E₈ in low-energy d=4 superstring E₈⊗E₆ gauge theory can lead to the exponentially small (compared to the Planck scale) supersymmetry breaking scale. The Hosotani mechanism can provide the E₈→G₁⊗…⊗G_k breaking.     

Spontaneous supersymmetry breaking in supersymmetric string theories

A generalization of the dimensional reduction of supersymmetric string theories is introduced which leads to spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry. This supersymmetry breaking has non-trivial consequences for the quantization and dynamics of the theory. The lowest quantum correction to the cosmological constant is calculated and found to be unacceptably large.     

Nucleosynthesis bounds in gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking theories

In gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking theories the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle can decay during or after the nucleosynthesis epoch. The decay products such as photons and hadrons can destroy the light element abundances. Restricting the damage that these decays can do leads to constraints on the abundance and lifetime of the NLSP. We compute the freezeout abundance of the NLSP by including all coannihilation thresholds which are particularly important in the case in which the NLSP is the lightest stau. We find that the upper bound on the messenger scale can be as stringent as 10¹² GeV when the NLSP is the lightest neutralino and 10¹³ GeV when the NLSP is the lightest stau. Our findings disfavour models of gauge mediation where the messenger scale is close to the GUT scale or results from balancing renormalisable interactions with non-renormalisable operators at the Planck scale. When combined with the requirement of no gravitino overabundance, our bound implies that the reheating temperature after inflation must be less than 10⁷ GeV.     

Softly broken supersymmetry and radiative gauge symmetry breaking

We compare two approaches to quantum corrections in theories with softly broken supersymmetry: the effective potential à la Coleman-Weinberg and the scaling of parameters of the tree level potential between M_PL and M_W, which has been used recently in the context of low-energy supergravity in order to obtain radiative SU(2) × U(1) symmetry breaking. Corrections to the latter procedure are studied in simple models and estimated in the general case.     

Intermediate scale inflation and metastable supersymmetry breaking

We investigate the possibility of obtaining a low scale of supersymmetry breaking within the ISS framework using a metastable vacuum. This is achieved by introducing an R   symmetry preserving gravitational coupling of the ISS sector to a relatively low scale inflationary sector. We find the allowed range for the supersymmetry breaking scale, ¹⁰⁴ GeV?μ?¹⁰⁸ GeV${10}^4\text{GeV}?\mu ?{10}^8\text{GeV}$, which is low enough to be amenable to gauge supersymmetry breaking mediation. This scenario is based upon a so-called hilltop inflation phase whose initial condition problem is also addressed.     

Renormalization of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with soft supersymmetry breaking

The renormalization of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories with soft supersymmetry breaking is presented using spurion fields for introducing the breaking terms. It is proven that renormalization of the fields and parameters in the classical action yields precisely the correct counterterms to cancel all divergences. In the course of the construction of higher orders additional independent parameters appear, but they can be shown to be irrelevant in physics respects. Thus, the only parameters with influence on physical amplitudes are the supersymmetric and the well-known soft breaking parameters. Received: 19 December 2001 / Published online: 15 March 2002     

Soft masses in theories with supersymmetry breaking by TeV compactification

We study the sparticle spectroscopy and electroweak breaking of theories where supersymmetry is broken by compactification (Scherk-Schwarz mechanism) at a TeV The evolution of the soft terms above the compactification scale and the resulting sparticle spectrum are very different from those of the usual MSSM and gauge-mediated theories. This is traced to the softness of the Scherk-Schwarz mechanism which leads to scalar sparticle masses that are only logarithmically sensitive to the cutoff starting at two loops. As a result, the mass-squareds of the squarks and sleptons are a loop factor smaller than those of the gauginos. In addition, the mechanism is very predictive and the sparticle spectrum depends on just two new parameters. A significant advantage of this mechanism relative to gauge mediation is that a Higgsino mass μ ≈ M_susy is automatically generated when supersymmetry is broken. Our analysis applies equally well to theories where the cutoff is near a TeV or M _Pℓ or some intermediate scale. We also use these observations to show how we may obtain compactification radii which are hierarchically larger than the fundamental cutoff scale.     

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.     

Electroweak breaking and supersymmetry breaking

We discuss the clash between the absence of fine tuning in the Higgs potential and a sufficient suppression of flavour changing neutral current transitions in supersymmetric extensions of the standard model. It is pointed out that horizontalU(1) symmetry combined with theD-term supersymmetry breaking provides a realistic framework for solving both problems.     

Cosmological and astrophysical bounds on the scale of supersymmetry breaking

We derive an upper bound f < 10⁶ GeV on the scale of the breaking of supersymmetry from the mass density of the universe and a lower bound f 40 GeV from stellar evolution.     

Translation symmetry breaking in four dimensional lattice gauge theories

We consider lattice gauge theories with finite abelian groupG in the weak coupling regime. It is shown that there is only one translation invariant equilibrium state for the infinite system. In four dimensions we construct a nontranslation invariant equilibrium state, describing an infinite system with localized magnetic flux tube, starting and ending at infinity.     

Dynamical supersymmetry breaking in two-dimensional N = 1 supergravity theories

We investigate a possible dynamical mechanism for spontaneous supersymmetrybreaking in N = 1 supergravity theories in 1 + 1 space-time dimensions. It will be shown that supersymmetry is never broken at the tree level, but it can be broken for a certain class of models by quantum effects due to trace anomalies of the energy-momentum tensor and the supercurrent.     

Confinement from spontaneous breaking of scale symmetry

We show that one can obtain naturally the confinement of static charges from the spontaneous symmetry breaking of scale invariance in a gauge theory. At the classical level a confining force is obtained and at the quantum level, using a gauge invariant but path-dependent variables formalism, the Cornell confining potential is explicitly obtained. Our procedure answers completely to the requirements by 't Hooft for “perturbative confinement”.