Probing the SUSY breaking scale at an e−e−e^-e^- collider

If supersymmetry is spontaneously at a low energy scale then the resulting gravitino would be very light. The interaction strength of the longitudinal components of such a light gravitino to electron-selectron pair then becomes comparable to that of electroweak interactions. Such a light gravitino could modify the cross-section for e^_L e^_R-->\tilde {e}_L\tilde {e}_R from its MSSM value. Precision measurement of this cross-section could therefore be used to probe the low energy SUSY breaking scale.Comment: Plain Tex, 7 pages, No figure

Supersymmetry and Gauge Invariance Constraints in a U(1)×\times U(1)′^{\prime }-Higgs Superconducting Cosmic String Model

A supersymmetric extension of the $U(1)\times U(1)^{\prime }$-Higgs bosonic superconducting cosmic string model is considered,and the constraints imposed upon such a model due to renormalizability, supersymmetry, and gauge invariance are examined. For a simple model with a single $U(1)$ chiral superfield and a single $$ chiral superfield, the Witten mechanism for bosonic superconductivity (giving rise to long range gauge fields outside of the string) does not exist. The simplest model that can accommodate the requisite interactions requires five chiral supermultiplets. This superconducting cosmic string solution is investigated.Comment: 17 pages, revtex, no figures; to appear in Phys. Rev.

One-loop Higgs mass finiteness in supersymmetric Kaluza-Klein theories

We analyze the one-loop ultraviolet sensitivity of the Higgs mass in a five-dimensional supersymmetric theory compactified on the orbifold S^1/Z_2, with superpotential localized on a fixed-point brane. Four-dimensional supersymmetry is broken by Scherk-Schwarz boundary conditions. Kaluza-Klein interactions are regularized by means of a brane Gaussian distribution along the extra dimension with length l_s\simeq\Lambda^{-1}_s, where \Lambda_s is the cutoff of the five-dimensional theory. The coupling of the n-mode, with mass M^{(n)}, acquires the n-dependent factor exp{-(M^{(n)}/\Lambda_s)^2/2}, which makes it to decouple for M^{(n)}\gg \Lambda_s. The sensitivity of the Higgs mass on \Lambda_s is strongly suppressed and quadratic divergences cancel by supersymmetry. The one-loop correction to the Higgs mass is finite and equals, for large values of \Lambda_s, the value obtained by the so-called KK-regularization.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure. The discussion on the distribution giving rise to couplings suppressed by exp(-M/Lambda) is revised and the result is finite and equals that of the Gaussian cas

Testing the equivalence principle: why and how?

Part of the theoretical motivation for improving the present level of testing of the equivalence principle is reviewed. The general rationale for optimizing the choice of pairs of materials to be tested is presented. One introduces a simplified rationale based on a trichotomy of competing classes of theoretical models.Comment: 11 pages, Latex, uses ioplppt.sty, submitted to Class. Quantum Gra

Effective Two Higgs Doublets in Nonminimal Supersymmetric Models

The Higgs sectors of supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model have two doublets in the minimal version (MSSM), and two doublets plus a singlet in two others: with (UMSSM) and without (NMSSM) an extra U(1)'. A very concise comparison of these three models is possible if we assume that the singlet has a somewhat larger breaking scale compared to the electroweak scale. In that case, the UMSSM and the NMSSM become effectively two-Higgs-doublet models (THDM), like the MSSM. As expected, the mass of the lightest CP-even neutral Higgs boson has an upper bound in each case. We find that in the NMSSM, this bound exceeds not very much that of the MSSM, unless tan(beta) is near one. However, the upper bound in the UMSSM may be substantially enhanced.Comment: 8 pages, 1 table, 3 figure

Spontaneously Broken N=2 Supergravity Without Light Mirror Fermions

We present a spontaneously broken N=2 supergravity model that reduces in the flat limit to a globally supersymmetric N=2 system with explicit soft supersymmetry breaking terms. These soft terms generate a mass O(100 GeV) for mirror quarks and leptons, while leaving the physical fermions light, thereby overcoming one of the major obstacles towards the construction of a realistic N=2 model of elementary interactions.Comment: 20 pages, Late

How do resource distribution and taxonomy affect the use of dual foraging in seabirds? A review

In many seabird species, parents feeding young switch between short and long foraging excursions in a strategy known as "dual foraging." To investigate whether habitat quality near breeding colonies drives the use of dual foraging, we conducted a review of the seabird literature, compiling the results of 102 studies which identified dual-foraging in 50 species across nine families from all six seabird orders. We estimated the mean distance from the colony of each species' short and long foraging trips and obtained remote-sensed data on chlorophyll-a concentrations within the radius of both short and long trips around each colony. We then assessed, for each seabird family, the relationship between the use of dual foraging strategies and the difference in the quality of foraging locations between short- and long-distance foraging trips. We found that the probability of dual foraging grew with increasing differences in the quality of foraging locations available during short- and long-distance trips. We also found that when controlling for differences in habitat quality, albatrosses and penguins were less likely to use dual foraging than Procellariidae, which in turn were less likely to use dual foraging than Sulids. This study helps clarify how environmental conditions and taxon-specific characteristics influence seabird foraging behavior

Effective Lagrangians and Light Gravitino Phenomenology

We construct the low-energy effective lagrangian for a light gravitino coupled to the minimal supersymmetric standard model under the assumption that supersymmetry breaking is communicated to the observable sector dominantly through soft terms. Our effective lagrangian is written in terms of the spin-1/2 Goldstino (the longitudinal component of the gravitino) transforming under a non-linear realization of supersymmetry. In this lagrangian, the Goldstino is derivatively coupled and all couplings of the Goldstino to light fields are determined uniquely by the supersymmetry-breaking scale \sqrt{F}. This lagrangian is therefore a useful starting point for further investigation of the light gravitino in gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking models. We show that the invisible width of the Z into Goldstinos gives the constraint \sqrt{F} > 140 GeV.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX2e, 1 eps figure. Removed erroneous claim of coupling of photon to gravitino to photons at order M^2 E^2 / F^2. Strongest bound is from invisible Z width, giving F > (140 GeV)^

Fitting Neutrino Physics with a U(1)_R Lepton Number

We study neutrino physics in the context of a supersymmetric model where a continuous R-symmetry is identified with the total Lepton Number and one sneutrino can thus play the role of the down type Higgs. We show that R-breaking effects communicated to the visible sector by Anomaly Mediation can reproduce neutrino masses and mixing solely via radiative contributions, without requiring any additional degree of freedom. In particular, a relatively large reactor angle (as recently observed by the Daya Bay collaboration) can be accommodated in ample regions of the parameter space. On the contrary, if the R-breaking is communicated to the visible sector by gravitational effects at the Planck scale, additional particles are necessary to accommodate neutrino data.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures; v2: references added, constraints updated, overall conclusions unchange

Study of a Neutrino Mass Texture Generated in Supergravity with Bilinear R-Parity Violation

We study a particular texture of the neutrino mass matrix generated in supergravity with bilinear R-Parity violation. The relatively high value of $\tan\beta$ makes the one-loop contribution to the neutrino mass matrix as important as the tree-level one. The atmospheric angle is nearly maximal, and its deviation from maximal mixing is related to the smallness of the ratio between the solar and atmospheric mass scales. There is also a common origin for the small values of the solar and reactor angles, but the later is much smaller due the large mass ratio between the lightest two neutrinos. There is a high dependence of the neutrino mass differences on the scalar mass $m_0$ and the gaugino mass $M_{1/2}$, but a smaller one of the mixing angles on the same sugra parameters. Measurements of branching ratios for the neutralino decays can give important information on the parameters of the model. There are good prospects at a future Linear Collider for these measurements, but a more detailed analysis is necessary for the LHC.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figure