Left-right symmetry breaking scale and supersymmetry in unified theories

We propose a class of supersymmetric grand unified models where parity and SU(2)_R breaking scales are widely separated and compatible with a low-lying mass for the right-handed gauge boson W_R. The intermediate symmetry SU(4)_c×SU(2)_L×SU(2)_R and Higgs content are uniquely fixed if m_WR < 10⁹ GeV. The unification scale lies within an order of magnitude below the Planck mass.     

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.     

Z'-mediated supersymmetry breaking

We consider a class of models in which supersymmetry breaking is communicated dominantly via a U1' gauge interaction, which also helps solve the mu problem. Such models can emerge naturally in top-down constructions and are a version of split supersymmetry. The spectrum contains heavy sfermions, Higgsinos, exotics, and Z' approximately 10-100 TeV, light gauginos approximately 100-1000 GeV, a light Higgs boson approximately 140 GeV, and a light singlino. A specific set of U1' charges and exotics is analyzed, and we present five benchmark models. The implications for the gluino lifetime, cold dark matter, and the gravitino and neutrino masses are discussed.     

Dynamical breaking of supersymmetry

General conditions for dynamical supersymmetry breaking are discussed. Very small effects that would usually be ignored, such as instantons of a grand unified theory, might break supersymmetry at a low energy scale. Examples are given (in 0 + 1 and 2 + 1 dimensions) in which dynamical supersymmetry breaking occurs. Difficulties that confront such a program in four dimensions are described.     

Mixing-induced spontaneous supersymmetry breaking

It is conjectured that flavor mixing furnishes a universal mechanism for the spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry. The conjecture is proved explicitly for the mixing of two chiral N=1 supermultiplets and arguments for its general validity are given. That is an instance of the O?Raifeartaigh Lagrangian for which there is no tree-level nor perturbative breaking. Nonetheless, the dynamical breaking occurs due to the vacuum condensate, a mixing-induced nonperturbative effect that lifts the zero point energy.     

Constraints on supersymmetry breaking

Some non-perturbative constraints on supersymmetry breaking are derived. It is demonstrated that dynamical supersymmetry breaking does not occur in certain interesting classes of theories.     

Leptogenesis from supersymmetry breaking

We show that soft supersymmetry breaking terms involving the heavy sneutrinos can lead to sneutrino-antisneutrino mixing and to new sources of CP violation, which are present even if a single generation is considered. These terms are naturally present in supersymmetric versions of leptogenesis scenarios, and they induce indirect CP violation in the decays of the heavy sneutrinos, eventually generating a baryon asymmetry. This new contribution can be comparable to or even dominate over the asymmetry produced in traditional leptogenesis scenarios.     

Soft breaking of supersymmetry

Using superfield methods we discuss systematically explicit soft breaking of global supersymmetry. We find that, in a component field language, dimension-two operators are soft while, in general, dimension-three operators are not and introduce quadratic divergences not present in the unbroken theory. At the one-loop level we give a parallel discussion based on the effective potential.     

Primordial cosmological inflation versus local supersymmetry breaking in SUSY GUTs coupled toN=1 supergravity

We present a model for a SUSY GUT coupled toN=1 supergravity in which local supersymmetry breaks down in the gauge singlet sector. The constraints for the model to be physically acceptable are incompatible with inflation. The simultaneous breaking of local supersymmetry and gauge symmetry is proposed as a good prospect for inflation.     

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.     

D-brane models and flux supersymmetry breaking

We describe recent work on constructing four-dimensional string models with moduli stabilized by field strength fluxes and chiral gauge sectors close to the Standard Model from D-brane configurations. We discuss how the interplay of both ingredients relates to phenomenological issues, in particular the appearance of soft terms on the D-brane gauge sector induce from non-supersymmetric flux backgrounds. To cite this article: A.M. Uranga, C. R. Physique 5 (2004).

Résumé

Nous décrivons des travaux récents de constructions de modèles de cordes à 4 dimensions ayant des modules stabilisés par des flux, ainsi que des secteurs chiraux de jauge proches du modèle standard, réalisés à partir de configurations de D-branes. Nous expliquons comment les liens entre les différents ingrédients relient des aspects phénoménologiques, en particulier l'apparition de termes doux dans le secteur de jauge des D-branes à partir de champs de fonds non-supersymétriques avec flux. Pour citer cet article : A.M. Uranga, C. R. Physique 5 (2004).     

Low-scale leptogenesis and soft supersymmetry breaking

We investigate the possibility of low-scale leptogenesis in the minimal supersymmetric standard model extended with right-handed (s)neutrinos. We demonstrate that successful leptogenesis can be easily achieved at a scale as low as approximately TeV where lepton number and CP violation comes from soft supersymmetry breaking terms. The scenario is shown to be compatible with neutrino masses data.