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Steven Abel

Publications and source records attributed to Steven Abel.

72 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2009

On the Diversity of Gauge Mediation: Footprints of Dynamical SUSY Breaking

Recent progress in realising dynamical supersymmetry breaking allows the construction of simple and calculable models of gauge mediation. We discuss the phenomenology of the particularly minimal case in which the mediation is direct, and show that there are generic new and striking predictions. These include new particles with masses comparable to those of the Standard Model superpartners, associated with the pseudo-Goldstone modes of the dynamical SUSY breaking sector. Consequently there is an unavoidable departure from the MSSM. In addition the gaugino masses are typically significantly lighter than the sfermions, and their mass ratios can be different from the pattern dictated by the gauge couplings in standard (i.e. explicit) gauge mediation. We investigate these features in two distinct realisations of the dynamical SUSY breaking sector.

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arXiv2008

Direct Mediation, Duality and Unification

It is well-known that in scenarios with direct gauge mediation of supersymmetry breaking the messenger fields significantly affect the running of Standard Model couplings and introduce Landau poles which are difficult to avoid. This appears to remove any possibility of a meaningful unification prediction and is often viewed as a strong argument against direct mediation. We propose two ways that Seiberg duality can circumvent this problem. In the first, which we call "deflected-unification", the SUSY-breaking hidden sector is a magnetic theory which undergoes a duality to an electric phase, with fewer elementary degrees of freedom coupled to the MSSM. This changes the beta-functions of the MSSM gauge couplings so as to push their Landau poles above the unification scale. We show that this scenario is realised for recently suggested models of gauge mediation based on a metastable SCQD-type hidden sector directly coupled to MSSM. The second possibility, which we call "dual-unification", begins with the observation that, if the mediating fields fall into complete SU(5) multiplets, then the MSSM+messengers exhibits a fake unification at unphysical values of the gauge couplings. We show that, in known examples of electric/magnetic duals, such a fake unification in the magnetic theory reflects a real unification in the electric theory. We therefore propose that the Standard Model could itself be a magnetic dual of some unknown electric theory in which the true unification takes place. This scenario maintains the unification prediction (and unification scale) even in the presence of Landau poles in the magnetic theory below the GUT scale. We further note that this dual realization of grand unification can explain why Nature appears to unify, but the proton does not decay.

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arXiv2008

Scattering amplitudes in strongly coupled N=4 SYM from semiclassical strings in AdS

Very recently in arXiv:0705.0303 Alday and Maldacena gave a string theory prescription for computing (all) planar amplitudes in N=4 supersymmetric gauge theory at strong coupling using the AdS/CFT correspondence. These amplitudes are determined by a classical string solution and contain a universal exponential factor involving the action of the classical string. On the gauge theory side, expressions for perturbative amplitudes at strong coupling were previously proposed only for specific helicities of external particles -- the maximally helicity violating or MHV amplitudes. These follow from the exponential ansatz of Bern, Dixon and Smirnov for MHV amplitudes in N=4 SYM. In this paper we examine the amplitudes dependence on helicities and particle-types of external states. We consider the prefactor of string amplitudes and give arguments suggesting that the prefactor at strong coupling should be the same as the Yang-Mills tree-level amplitude for the same process. This implies that scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM simplify dramatically in the strong coupling limit. It follows from our proposal that in this limit all (MHV and non-MHV) n-point amplitudes are given by the (known) tree-level Yang-Mills result times the helicity-independent (and particle-type-independent) universal exponential.

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arXiv2007

Dynamical breaking of U(1)_{R} and supersymmetry in a metastable vacuum

We consider the metastable N=1 QCD model of Intriligator, Seiberg and Shih (ISS), deformed by adding a baryon term to the superpotential. This simple deformation causes the spontaneous breaking of the approximate R-symmetry of the metastable vacuum. We then gauge the flavour SU(5)_f and identify it with the parent gauge symmetry of the Standard Model (SM). This implements direct mediation of supersymmetry breaking without the need for an additional messenger sector. A reasonable choice of parameters leads to gaugino masses of the right order. Finally, we speculate that the entire ``ISS x SM'' model should be interpreted as a magnetic dual of an (unknown) asymptotically free theory.

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arXiv2006

Noncommutativity from the string perspective: modification of gravity at a mm without mm sized extra dimensions

We explore how the IR pathologies of noncommutative field theory are resolved when the theory is realized as open strings in background B-fields: essentially, since the IR singularities are induced by UV/IR mixing, string theory brings them under control in much the same way as it does the UV singularities. We show that at intermediate scales (where the Seiberg-Witten limit is a good approximation) the theory reproduces the noncommutative field theory with all the (un)usual features such as UV/IR mixing, but that outside this regime, in the deep infra-red, the theory flows continuously to the commutative theory and normal Wilsonian behaviour is restored. The resulting low energy physics resembles normal commutative physics, but with additional suppressed Lorentz violating operators. We also show that the phenomenon of UV/IR mixing occurs for the graviton as well, with the result that, in configurations where Planck's constant receives a significant one-loop correction (for example brane-induced gravity), the distance scale below which gravity becomes non-Newtonian can be much greater than any compact dimensions.

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arXiv2006

(Pseudo)-Dirac neutrinos and leptogenesis

We discuss how Dirac neutrinos can naturally be generated in supersymmetry and how they allow for an Affleck-Dine leptogenesis scenario, in which a left-right asymmetry is generated in the sneutrino sector, the left part of which is transferred to a baryon asymmetry via sphaleron transitions. No exotic fields need to be added to the MSSM other than the right-handed neutrino.

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arXiv2006

Affleck-Dine (Pseudo)-Dirac Neutrinogenesis

We consider the Affleck-Dine mechanism for leptogenesis in the minimal MSSM with Dirac or Pseudo-Dirac neutrinos. The rolling of scalars along D-flat directions generates a left-right asymmetry in the sneutrino sector, only the left part of which is transferred to a baryon asymmetry via sphaleron transitions. In the pure Dirac case the baryon asymmetry of the Universe is thus mirrored by an equal and opposite asymmetry in the leptons. The mechanism is also found to work when the neutrinos are pseudo-Dirac. No additional field needs to be added to the MSSM other than the right-handed neutrino.

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arXiv2005

Naturally small Dirac neutrino masses in supergravity

We show that Dirac neutrino masses of the right size can arise from the Kahler potential of supergravity. They are proportional to the supersymmetry and the electroweak breaking scales. We find that they have the experimentally observed value provided that the ultraviolet cut-off of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) is between the Grand Unification (GUT) scale and the heterotic string scale. If lepton number is not conserved, then relatively suppressed Majorana masses can also be present, resulting in pseudo-Dirac neutrino masses.

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arXiv2003

Brane-Antibrane Kinetic Mixing, Millicharged Particles and SUSY Breaking

It is known that hidden U(1) gauge factors can couple to visible U(1)'s through Kinetic Mixing. This phenomenon is shown generically to occur in nonsupersymmetric string set-ups, between branes and antibranes. Kinetic Mixing acts either to give millicharges (of e.g. hypercharge) to would-be hidden sector fermions, or to generate an enhanced communication of supersymmetry breaking that dominates over the usual gravitational suppression. In either case, the conclusion is that the string scale in nonsupersymmetric brane configurations has a generic upper bound of M_s <~ 10^8 GeV.

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arXiv2003

Hagedorn Inflation: Open Strings on Branes Can Drive Inflation

We demonstrate an inflationary solution to the cosmological horizon problem during the Hagedorn regime in the early universe. Here the observable universe is confined to three spatial dimensions (a three-brane) embedded in higher dimensions. The only ingredients required are open strings on D-branes at temperatures close to the string scale. No potential is required. Winding modes of the strings provide a negative pressure that can drive inflation of our observable universe. Hence the mere existence of open strings on branes in the early hot phase of the universe drives Hagedorn inflation, which can be either power law or exponential. We note the amusing fact that, in the case of stationary extra dimensions, inflationary expansion takes place only for branes of three or less dimensions.

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arXiv2002

Hagedorn Inflation: Open Strings on Branes Can Drive Inflation

We demonstrate an inflationary solution to the cosmological horizon problem during the Hagedorn regime in the early universe. Here the observable universe is confined to three spatial dimensions (a three-brane) embedded in higher dimensions. The only ingredients required are open strings on D-branes at temperatures close to the string scale. No potential is required. Winding modes of the strings provide a negative pressure that can drive inflation of our observable universe. Hence the mere existence of open strings on branes in the early hot phase of the universe drives Hagedorn inflation, which can be either power law or exponential. We note the amusing fact that, in the case of stationary extra dimensions, inflationary expansion takes place only for branes of three or less dimensions.

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arXiv2000

Hagedorn inflation of D-branes

We examine the cosmological effects of the Hagedorn phase in models where the observable universe is pictured as a D-brane. It is shown that, even in the absence of a cosmological constant, winding modes cause a negative `pressure' that can drive brane inflation of various types including both power law and exponential. We also find regimes in which the cosmology is stable but oscillating (a bouncing universe) with the Hagedorn phase softening the singular behavior associated with the collapse.

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arXiv1998

Charge and Colour Breaking in the Constrained MSSM

We show that the physical minimum of the Constrained MSSM is only free from dangerous charge and colour breaking minima in the region of parameter space bounded by 110< m_1/2< 400 GeV and 80< m_0< 170 GeV. In the remaining regions, the cosmology is severely constrained.

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arXiv1998

Charge and Colour Breaking Constraints in the MSSM With Non-Universal SUSY Breaking

We examine charge/colour breaking along directions in supersymmetric field space which are F and D-flat. We catalogue the dangerous directions and include some new ones which have not previously been considered. Analytic expressions for the resulting constraints are provided which are valid for all patterns of supersymmetry breaking. As an example we consider a recently proposed pattern of supersymmetry breaking derived in Horava-Witten M-theory, and show that there is no choice of parameters for which the physical vacuum is a global minimum.

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arXiv1998

On fixed points and fermion mass structure from large extra dimensions

We examine the fixed point behaviour of Yukawa couplings in supersymmetric theories with varying numbers of dimensions. We show that Pendleton-Ross fixed point behaviour is greatly amplified in the MSSM with no extra dimensions and 4 extra $5+\bar{5}$ multiplets or the MSSM with one extra large dimension and 3 extra $5+\bar{5}$ multiplets. We also show that power law running in models with large extra dimensions can give a hierarchical set of quasi-fixed points for the Yukawa couplings in a manner which is similar to the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. However, we also point out the limited perturbative domain in models with power law running

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arXiv1998

On Metastability in Supersymmetric Models

We make a critical reappraisal of `unbounded-from-below' (UFB) constraints in the MSSM and R-parity violating models. We explain why the `traditional' UFB bounds are neither necessary nor sufficient and propose, instead, a sufficient condition which ensures that there are no local minima along the flat directions. This conservative (but meaningful) condition divides the parameter space into regions which are allowed, regardless of cosmology, and regions in which cosmology is expected to play a major role. We study both conditions at low tan-beta and obtain analytic approximations to the UFB bounds for all low tan-beta (<15). Finally we show that R-parity violation just below current experimental limits avoids UFB problems by lifting the dangerous flat directions.

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arXiv1998

Flavour Democracy in Strong Unification

We show that the fermion mass spectrum may naturally be understood in terms of flavour democratic fixed points in supersymmetric theories which have a large domain of attraction in the presence of "strong unification". Our approach provides an alternative to the approximate Yukawa texture zeroes of the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. We discuss a particular model based on a broken gauged $SU(3)_L\times SU(3)_R$ family symmetry which illustrates our approach.

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arXiv1997

The Quasi-Fixed MSSM

The infra-red fixed points are determined for all the parameters of the MSSM. They dominate the renormalisation group running when the top-Yukawa is in the quasi-fixed point regime (i.e. large at the GUT scale). We examine this behaviour analytically, by solving the full set of one-loop renormalisation group equations in the approximation that the electroweak contributions are negligible, and also numerically. We find the quasi-fixed points for the top-quark trilinear couplings; A_{U_{α3}} = A_{U_{3α}}=-0.59 m_g independently of the input parameters at the unification scale. All the remaining parameters are significantly focused towards their true fixed points at the weak scale. We examine how this increases the predictivity of the MSSM in this regime.

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