The \gamma \gamma \to \gamma \gamma process in the standard and SUSY models at high energies

We study the helicity amplitudes of the process at high energy, which in the standard and SUSY models first arise at the one-loop order. In the standard model (SM), the diagrams involve , charged-quark, and lepton loops, while in SUSY, we also have contributions from chargino-, charged-sfermion, and Higgs-loop diagrams. The SUSY contributions are most important in the region above the threshold for producing the supersymmetric partners; there, they interfere most effectively with the primarily imaginary SM amplitudes. Simple expressions for the relevant one-loop functions are given which provide a direct overview of the behaviour of the helicity amplitudes in the whole parameter space at high energies. The various characteristics of a large set of observables are studied in detail. Received: 3 February 1999 / Pulished online: 30 June 1999