Goldstone fermion couplings and supersymmetry breaking in superstring models

We re-examine supersymmetry breaking in the observable sectors of superstring-inspired supergravity models by computing Goldstone fermion couplings at the one-loop level. We find that a single global U (1) phase invariance is sufficient to forbid masses for gauge non-singlet chiral scalar bosons, and that Heisenberg symmetry is not necessary.     

Spontaneous breakdown and finiteness of supersymmetric theories in two dimensions

Using a single scalar superfield we construct the two dimensional version of the four dimensional Wess-Zumino model and examine its renormalization properties. In the context of this model and in the tree approximation we find that supersymmetry can be spontaneously broken with the appearance of a massless fermion. This solution is then shown to be dynamically unstable at the one-loop level. Finally we use supersymmetry to construct two dimensional theories for which all IPI vertices are finite.     

Finite-temperature supersymmetry: the Wess-Zumino model

We investigate the breakdown of supersymmetry at finite temperature. While it has been proven that temperature always breaks supersymmetry, the nature of this breaking is less clear. On the one hand, a study of the Ward-Takahashi identities suggests a spontaneous breakdown of supersymmetry without the existence of a Goldstino, while on the other hand it has been shown that in any supersymmetric plasma there should exist a massless fermionic collective excitation, the phonino. Aim of this work is to unify these two approaches. For the Wess-Zumino model, it is shown that the phonino exists and contributes to the supersymmetric Ward-Takahashi identities in the right way displaying that supersymmetry is broken spontaneously with the phonino as the Goldstone fermion.     

Dynamical supersymmetry breaking in a finite field theoretical model

We present a supersymmetric field theory in two or three space-time dimensions with an internal symmetry of the O(N) type. In the large-N limit the model is finite and supersymmetry is spontaneously broken. The fields representing the order parameters of the broken supersymmetry phase acquire dynamics through quantum corrections. In particular the Goldstone fermion is a zero-mass fermionic bound state.     

Simulating the Wess-Zumino supersymmetry model in optical lattices

We study a cold atom-molecule mixture in two-dimensional optical lattices. We show that, by fine-tuning the atomic and molecular interactions, the Wess-Zumino supersymmetry (SUSY) model in 2+1 dimensions emerges in the low-energy limit and can be simulated in such mixtures. At zero temperature, SUSY is not spontaneously broken, which implies identical relativistic dispersions of the atom and its superpartner, a bosonic diatom molecule. This defining signature of SUSY can be probed by single-particle spectroscopies. Thermal breaking of SUSY at a finite temperature is accompanied by a thermal Goldstone fermion, i.e., phonino excitation. This and other signatures of broken SUSY can also be probed experimentally.     

Super-higgs effect in supergravity with general scalar interactions

Using the recently established tensor calculus for supergravity, we construct the most general action for the scalar multiplet coupling. We discuss under which conditions supersymmetry is broken spontaneously and show explicitly that the gravitino acquires a mass by absorbing the Goldstone fermion. Parity violation as well as a cosmological constant can be avoided.     

On the strong-CP problem in models with several Higgs multiplets and supersymmetry

We point out that the strong-CP problem becomes even more pressing in the context of weak models where CP violation originates in the Higgs sector. θ renormalization is numerically too large at the one-loop level and even divergent at the two-loop level. When supersymmetry (SUSY) is introduced, many more possible sources for CP violation open up. θ renormalization could stay finite in perturbation theory, however, we find that the one-loop result turns out to be too large by orders of magnitude unless SUSY fields like gauginos and higgsinos are highly degenerate in mass or SUSY breaking proceeds in a very special way, or a Peccei-Quinn symmetry holds leading to superlight axions.     

Quasi nambu-goldstone fermions

We explore in detail the hypothesis that quarks and leptons are the approximately massless quasi Goldstone fermions of a supersymmetric preon theory. In particular, we discuss the possible patterns of states emerging from the spontaneous breakdown of global symmetries in supersymmetric theories and construct the low-energy effective lagrangians describing the interaction of these states. In contrast to what happens in the Goldstone sector, the interactions of the quasi Goldstone fermions contain arbitrary parameters which directly reflect the preon dynamics. Various models are explored, including both models in which the weak interactions are residual and models where these interactions are fundamental. A variety of issues are addressed, from the universality and approximate SU(2)_L nature of the weak interactions, for the former class of models, to the generation of states beyond the quarks and leptons and the nature of the dynamical breaking of SU(2)_L×U(1), for the latter class of models. Open questions and speculations connected with the origin of families and the nature of fermion mass generation, including supersymmetry breaking, are also discussed.     

Out of equilibrium dynamics of supersymmetry at high energy density

We investigate the out of equilibrium dynamics of global chiral supersymmetry at finite energy density. We concentrate on two specific models. The first is the massive Wess–Zumino model which we study in a self-consistent one-loop approximation. We find that for energy densities above a certain threshold, the fields are driven dynamically to a point in field space at which the fermionic component of the superfield is massless. The state, however, is found to be unstable, indicating a breakdown of the one-loop approximation. To investigate further, we consider an O(N) massive chiral model which is solved exactly in the large N limit. For sufficiently high energy densities, we find that for late times the fields reach a nonperturbative minimum of the effective potential degenerate with the perturbative minimum. This minimum is a true attractor for O(N) invariant states at high energy densities, and this provides a mechanism for determining which of the otherwise degenerate vacua is chosen by the dynamics. The final state for large energy density is a cloud of massless particles (both bosons and fermions) around this new nonperturbative supersymmetric minimum. By introducing boson masses which softly break the supersymmetry, we demonstrate a see-saw mechanism for generating small fermion masses. We discuss some of the cosmological implications of our results.     

New local supersymmetry of the Vierbein formalism of Einstein gravity

The new local supersymmetry of the vierbein formalism of Einstein gravity for theN=1 case is reconsidered and the canonical quantization is carried out explicitly. The super-covariant derivative is defined with the genuine connection supermultiplet constructed from the vierbein and the ξ-field which plays the role of the Goldstone fermion of the supersymmetry. The extended BRS algebra concerning the supersymmetry is found explicitly.     

A note on supersymmetry and magnetic fields

Conclusion In the present article we have considered two supersymmetric non-abelian gauge theories in the presence of an external magnetic field. In has been shown that the effect of the magnetic field breaks suppersymmetry at the one-loop level; however, if supersymmetry is already broken spontaneously at the tree level, then the magnetic field effect does not restore it at the one-loop level. These facts could be used in SUSY GUT models (which are used to describe the early universe), to study phase transition in those models.     

Anomalies,field transformations,and the relation between SU(4) and SO(4) supergravity

We examine at the one-loop level the equivalence between SU(4) and SO(4) supergravity by calculating some amplitudes which are zero in SO(4) theory but may not be zero in SU(4) theory. The results of the calculation show that the theories are not equivalent and global supersymmetry is violated unless certain finite counter terms are introduced.     

Renormalization and symmetry conditions in supersymmetric QED

For supersymmetric gauge theories a consistent regularization scheme that preserves supersymmetry and gauge invariance is not known. In this article we tackle this problem for supersymmetric QED within the framework of algebraic renormalization. For practical calculations, a non-invariant regularization scheme may be used together with counterterms from all power-counting renormalizable interactions. From the Slavnov–Taylor identity, expressing gauge invariance, supersymmetry and translational invariance, simple symmetry conditions are derived that are important in a twofold respect: they establish exact relations between physical quantities that are valid to all orders, and they provide a powerful tool for the practical determination of the counterterms. We perform concrete one-loop calculations in dimensional regularization, where supersymmetry is spoiled at the regularized level, and show how the counterterms necessary to restore supersymmetry can be read off easily. In addition, a specific example is given how the supersymmetry transformations in one-loop order are modified by non-local terms. Received: 23 July 1999 / Published online: 14 October 1999     

Gauge-invariant effective lagrangians for goldstone-like particles of supersymmetric technicolor models

We point out that generally the low-energy spectrum in supersymmetric technicolor models contains quasi-Goldstone fermions and quasi-Goldstone bosons in addition to the usual (pseudo)- Goldstone bosons. Using the language of Kähler geometry, we present a step-by-step procedure for constructing gauge-invariant non-linear lagrangians involving the fermionic and bosonic Goldstone particles in situations in which supersymmetry is preserved. Both the cases of fully gauged and partially gauged global symmetries are considered. We discuss the dynamical version of the super-Higgs mechanism, and we illustrate it with the supersymmetric Susskind-Weinberg technicolor model.     

Noncommutative linear sigma models

We examine noncommutative linear sigma models with U(N) global symmetry groups at the one-loop quantum level, and contrast the results with our previous study of the noncommutative O(N) linear sigma models where we have shown that Nambu–Goldstone symmetry realization is inconsistent with continuum renormalization. Specifically we find no violation of Goldstone's theorem at one-loop for the U(N) models with the quartic term ordering consistent with possible noncommutative gauging of the model. The difference is due to terms involving noncommutative commutator interactions, which vanish in the commutative limit. We also examine the U(2), and O(4) linear sigma models with matter in the adjoint representation, and find that the former is consistent with Goldstone's theorem at one-loop if we include only trace invariants consistent with possible noncommutative gauging of the model, while the latter exhibits violations of Goldstone's theorem of the kind seen in the fundamental of O(N) for N>2.     

Regularization and supersymmetry-restoring counterterms in supersymmetric QCD

We calculate symmetry-restoring counterterms in supersymmetric QCD at the one-loop level. First we determine loop corrections to the supersymmetry and gauge transformations and find counterterms in such a way that the symmetry algebra holds at the one-loop level. Then these results are used to derive the symmetry-restoring counterterms to all trilinear interactions. In order to obtain unique results it is crucial to use the Slavnov-Taylor identity, which does not only contain supersymmetric and gauge Ward identities but also describes the symmetry algebra. In dimensional regularization this procedure yields unique non-zero values for the counterterms. In contrast, in dimensional reduction we find that no non-symmetric counterterms are needed, neither for the symmetry transformations nor for the physical interactions. For the considered cases this result constitutes a definite test of the supersymmetry and gauge invariance of the scheme. Received: 1 March 2001 / Published online: 25 April 2001     

UL(N) x UR(N)-Invariant Four-Fermion Interactions and Nambu-Goldstone Mechanism at Finite Temperature

In a chiral U_L(N) x U_R(N) fermion model of NJL-form, we prove that, if all the fermions are assumed to have equal masses and equal chemical potentials, then at the finite temperature T below the symmetry restoration temperature T_c, there will be N² massive scalar composite particles and N² massless pseudoscalar composite particles (Nambu-Goldstone bosons). This shows that the Goldstone theorem at finite temperature for spontaneous symmetry breaking U_L(N) x U_R(N) → U_L+R(N) is valid and consistent with the real-time formalism of thermal field theory in this model.     

Mass terms and mass renormalization for Susskind fermions

We discuss the symmetry properties of a geometrically motivated mass term giving different masses to the four flavours of Susskind fermions. Using this mass term we calculate the fermion self-energy in weak coupling perturbation theory at the one-loop level as well as the relation between the fermion masses on the lattice and in the continuum.     

A custodial symmetry for the cosmological constant in the effective theories of four-dimensional superstrings

We discuss supersymmetry breaking in the effective supergravity theories of four-dimensional N = 1 superstrings. Improving a recent suggestion, we introduce a superpotential modification that describes spontaneous supersymmetry breaking with vanishing cosmological constant and Str M² = 0 at any minimum of the tree level potential. We prove that in a class of models there are classical minima at which also Str f(M² = 0 for any function f. In particular, the whole one-loop cosmological constant vanishes. We propose a new boson-fermion symmetry of the spectrum, relating the graviton and the “dilatino”, which explains these remarkable properties.     

Loop calculations for the Green-Schwarz superstring

Several path integrals are calculated for the heterotic string with the Green-Schwarz covariant action. It is shown that if supersymmetry is unbroken, the cosmological constant vanishes to all orders, and one-and two-particle S-matrix elements for massless particles recieve no loop corrections. In addition, the one-loop calculation at finite temperature gives the correct lowest-order free energy.