Linearized non-minimal higher curvature supergravity

In the framework of linearized non-minimal supergravity (20/20), we present the embedding of the R+R2 model and we analyze its field spectrum. As usual, the auxiliary fields of the Einstein theory now become propagating, giving rise to additional degrees of freedom, which organize themselves into on-shell irreducible supermultiplets. By performing the analysis both in component and superspace formulations we identify the new supermultiplets. On top of the two massive chiral superfields reminiscent of the old-minimal supergravity embedding, the spectrum contains also a consistent physical, massive, vector supermultiplet and a tachyonic ghost, massive, vector supermultiplet

Supersymmetry breaking by higher dimension operators

We discuss a supersymmetry breaking mechanism for <math altimg="si1.gif" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="script">N</mi><mo>=</mo><mn>1</mn></math> theories triggered by higher dimensional operators. We consider such operators for real linear and chiral spinor superfields that break supersymmetry and reduce to the Volkov–Akulov action. We also consider supersymmetry breaking induced by a higher dimensional operator of a nonminimal scalar (complex linear) multiplet. The latter differs from the standard chiral multiplet in its auxiliary sector, which contains, in addition to the complex scalar auxiliary of a chiral superfield, a complex vector and two spinors auxiliaries. By adding an appropriate higher dimension operator, the scalar auxiliary may acquire a nonzero vev triggering spontaneous supersymmetry breaking. We find that the spectrum of the theory in the supersymmetry breaking vacuum consists of a free chiral multiplet and a constraint chiral superfield describing the goldstino. Interestingly, the latter turns out to be one of the auxiliary fermions, which becomes dynamical in the supersymmetry breaking vacuum. In all cases we are considering here, there is no sgoldstino mode and thus the goldstino does not have a superpartner. The sgoldstino is decoupled since the goldstino is one of the auxiliaries, which is propagating only in the supersymmetry breaking vacuum. We also point out how higher dimension operators introduce a potential for the propagating scalar of the theory