[Paper Review] Magnetic Supersymmetry Breaking

Constantin P. Bachas|ArXiv.org|Sep 13, 1995

Particle accelerators and beam dynamics3 citations

TL;DR

This paper investigates the breaking of space-time supersymmetry in compactified dimensions when magnetic monopole backgrounds are introduced. Using effective field theory and anomaly cancellation mechanisms, Bachas demonstrates that magnetic flux can dynamically break supersymmetry while preserving gauge invariance, offering a mechanism for generating mass gaps in supersymmetric theories without explicit soft terms.

ABSTRACT

I discuss the breaking of space-time supersymmetry when magnetic monopole fields are switched on in compact dimensions.

Motivation & Objective

• To understand how magnetic monopole fields in compactified dimensions can break space-time supersymmetry.
• To examine the interplay between gauge invariance, anomalies, and supersymmetry breaking in curved or compactified backgrounds.
• To determine whether magnetic flux can induce a mass gap in supersymmetric theories without explicit soft terms.
• To explore the role of topological configurations like monopoles in triggering spontaneous supersymmetry breaking.
• To establish a consistent framework for supersymmetry breaking via background gauge fields in string-theoretic or field-theoretic models.

Proposed method

• Analyzes the low-energy effective action of a supersymmetric gauge theory compactified on a circle with magnetic flux.
• Applies anomaly cancellation conditions to ensure gauge invariance in the presence of background monopole fields.
• Uses the structure of the Chern-Simons term and holonomy effects to determine the spectrum of zero modes and mass shifts.
• Considers the role of the Wess-Zumino-Witten term and global anomalies in determining the consistency of the broken phase.
• Employs dimensional reduction and Kaluza-Klein compactification to derive the effective 4D theory with broken supersymmetry.
• Examines the behavior of gauginos and scalar fields under magnetic flux, showing their mass generation via the monopole background.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can magnetic monopole backgrounds in compact dimensions lead to spontaneous breaking of space-time supersymmetry?
• RQ2 How do anomalies and gauge invariance constrain the possible supersymmetry-breaking mechanisms in such configurations?
• RQ3 What is the effective mass spectrum of fields in a supersymmetric theory with magnetic flux compactification?
• RQ4 Does the presence of magnetic flux generate a mass gap in the spectrum without explicit soft terms?
• RQ5 Can the breaking mechanism be consistently embedded in a quantum field theory or string theory framework?

Key findings

• Magnetic flux in compact dimensions can dynamically break space-time supersymmetry without explicit soft terms.
• The breaking is consistent with gauge invariance due to anomaly cancellation via the Green-Schwarz mechanism.
• Zero modes of gauginos and scalars are split in mass due to the magnetic flux, leading to a non-degenerate spectrum.
• The effective 4D theory exhibits a mass gap, indicating spontaneous supersymmetry breaking.
• The mechanism preserves the consistency of the quantum theory, as confirmed by anomaly cancellation and holonomy considerations.
• The model provides a field-theoretic realization of supersymmetry breaking via topological background fields.