Gaugino Condensation and the Vacuum Expectation Value of the Dilaton

The mechanism of gaugino condensation has emerged as a prime candidate for supersymmetry breakdown in low energy effective supergravity (string) models. One of the open questions in this approach concerns the size of the gauge coupling constant which is dynamically fixed through the vev of the dilaton. We argue that a nontrivial gauge kinetic function $f(S)$ could solve the potential problem of a runaway dilaton. The actual form of $f(S)$ might be constrained by symmetry arguments.Comment: 10 pages, 1 postscript figure, uses eps

Matching the BPS Spectra of Heterotic - Type I - Type I' Strings

We give a detailed discussion of the matching of the BPS states of heterotic, type I and type I' theories in d=9 for general backgrounds. This allows us to explicitly identify these (composite) brane states in the type I' theory that lead to gauge symmetry enhancement at critical points in moduli space. An example is the enhancement of $SO(16)\times SO(16)$ to $E_8\times E_8$.Comment: 11 pages; minor typos in eq. (3), (4) and on page 9 have been corrected; two footnotes taking into account additional references have been added; version to appear in Physics Letters

How to Reach the Correct sin^2\theta_W and \alpha_S in String Theory

Effective theories with the matter content of the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model below the string scale M_string predict a wrong value for the weak--mixing angle sin^2\theta_W and strong coupling constant \alpha_S at the scale M_Z. To resolve this problem one needs large threshold corrections. At the same time one would like to avoid introducing new intermediate scales that are small compared to M_string. Two requests which seem to be incompatible. We show how both requirements can be satisfied in a class of (0,2) heterotic superstring compactifications with a natural choice of the vevs of the moduli fields entering the moduli dependent string threshold corrections.Comment: 11 LaTex pages with 2 figure

Effect on the electron EDM due to abelian gauginos in SUSY extra U(1) models

The electric dipole moment of an electron (EDME) is investigated in the supersymmetric extra U(1) models. Neutralino sector is generally extended in these models and then the neutralino contribution will be important for the analysis of the EDME. Kinetic term mixings of abelian gauginos are taken into account in our analysis. Numerical results for the extra U(1) models show that the EDME can be affected by the extra U(1) in a certain range of soft supersymmetry breaking parameters even if the extra U(1) gauge boson is heavy. The EDME may be a clue to find an extended gauge structure in the supersymmetric models.Comment: 16 pages, latex, 3 figure

Exploring the SO(32) Heterotic String

We give a complete classification of Z_N orbifold compactification of the heterotic SO(32) string theory and show its potential for realistic model building. The appearance of spinor representations of SO(2n) groups is analyzed in detail. We conclude that the heterotic SO(32) string constitutes an interesting part of the string landscape both in view of model constructions and the question of heterotic-type I duality.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figure

Dilatonic Inflation and SUSY Breaking in String-inspired Supergravity

The theory of inflation will be investigated as well as supersymmetry breaking in the context of supergravity, incorporating the target-space duality and the nonperturbative gaugino condensation in the hidden sector. We found an inflationary trajectory of a dilaton field and a condensate field which breaks supersymmetry at once. The model satisfies the slow-roll condition which solves the eta-problem. When the particle rolls down along the minimized trajectory of the potential V(S,Y) at a duality invariant point of T=1, we can obtain the e-fold value \sim 57. And then the cosmological parameters obtained from our model well match the recent WMAP data combined with other experiments. This observation suggests one to consider the string-inspired supergravity as a fundamental theory of the evolution of the universe as well as the particle theory.Comment: 10 pages, 4 eps figures. Typos and references corrected. Final version to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Stabilized Singlets in Supergravity as a Source of the mu-parameter

Within the context of supergravity-coupled supersymmetry, fields which are gauge and global singlets are usually considered anathema. Their vacuum expectation values are shifted by quadratically divergent tadpole diagrams which are cutoff at the Planck scale, destabilizing the classical potential and driving the singlet field to large values. We demonstrate a new and generic mechanism which stabilizes the singlet in the presence of an extended gauge symmetry. Such a symmetry will be broken down to the Standard Model by the supergravity interactions near the scale of spontaneous supersymmetry-breaking in the hidden-sector (about 10^{10-11} GeV). The resulting singlet expectation value is stabilized and naturally of order the gravitino mass, providing therefore a weak-scale mass for the Higgs fields of the supersymmetric Standard Model (a "mu-parameter"). The resulting low-energy theory is the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model, with all new fields decoupling at the intermediate scale.Comment: 9 pages, LaTe