A Layman's guide to SUSY GUTs

The determination of the most straightforward evidence for the existence of the Superworld requires a guide for non-experts (especially experimental physicists) for them to make their own judgement on the value of such predictions. For this purpose we review the most basic results of Super-Grand unification in a simple and clear way. We focus the attention on two specific models and their predictions. These two models represent an example of a direct comparison between a traditional unified-theory and a string-inspired approach to the solution of the many open problems of the Standard Model. We emphasize that viable models must satisfy {\em all} available experimental constraints and be as simple as theoretically possible. The two well defined supergravity models, $SU(5)$ and $SU(5)\times U(1)$, can be described in terms of only a few parameters (five and three respectively) instead of the more than twenty needed in the MSSM model, \ie, the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. A case of special interest is the strict no-scale $SU(5)\times U(1)$ supergravity where all predictions depend on only one parameter (plus the top-quark mass). A general consequence of these analyses is that supersymmetric particles can be at the verge of discovery, lurking around the corner at present and near future facilities. This review should help anyone distinguish between well motivated predictions and predictions based on arbitrary choices of parameters in undefined models.Comment: 25 pages, Latex, 11 figures (not included), CERN-TH.7077/93, CTP-TAMU-65/93. A complete ps file (1.31MB) with embedded figures is available by request from [email protected]

Threshold Effects And Perturbative Unification

We discuss the effect of the renormalization procedure in the computation of the unification point for running coupling constants. We explore the effects of threshold--crossing on the $\beta$--functions. We compute the running of the coupling constants of the Standard Model, between $m_Z$ and $M_P$, using a mass dependent subtraction procedure, and then compare the results with $\bar{MS}$, and with the $\theta$-- function approximation. We also do this for the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. In the latter, the bounds on susy masses that one obtains by requiring perturbative unification are dependent, to some extent, on the procedure.Comment: 22 pages, REVTEX-2.1, 6 Post-Script figures are include

Proton Decay and Cosmology Strongly Constrain the Minimal SU(5) Supergravity Model

We present the results of an extensive exploration of the five-dimensional parameter space of the minimal $SU(5)$ supergravity model, including the constraints of a long enough proton lifetime (\tau_p>1\times10^{32}\y) and a small enough neutralino cosmological relic density ($\Omega_\chi h^2_0\le1$). We find that the combined effect of these two constraints is quite severe, although still leaving a small region of parameter space with m_{\tilde g,\tilde q}<1\TeV. The allowed values of the proton lifetime extend up to \tau_p\approx1\times10^{33}\y and should be fully explored by the SuperKamiokande experiment. The proton lifetime cut also entails the following mass correlations and bounds: m_h\lsim100\GeV, m_\chi\approx{1\over2}m_{\chi^0_2}\approx0.15\gluino, $m_{\chi^0_2}\approx m_{\chi^+_1}$, and m_\chi<85\,(115)\GeV, m_{\chi^0_2,\chi^+_1}<165\,(225)\GeV for $\alpha_3=0.113\,(0.120)$. Finally, the {\it combined} proton decay and cosmology constraints predict that if m_h\gsim75\,(80)\GeV then m_{\chi^+_1}\lsim90\,(110)\GeV for $\alpha_3=0.113\,(0.120)$. Thus, if this model is correct, at least one of these particles will likely be observed at LEPII.Comment: 11 pages plus 5 figures (not included). CERN-TH.6628/92, CTP-TAMU-61/92. A condensed version of this paper will appear in the Proceedings of the XXVI International Conference on High Energy Physics, Dallas--Texas, August 5--12, 199

Influence of Light and Heavy Thresholds on SUSY Unification

In this paper we study and compare susy unification using two different approaches in order to take into account the effect of light particle thresholds on the evolution of gauge couplings: the step--function approximation, on the one hand, and a mass dependent procedure, which gives a more accurate description of the dependence of the results on the masses, on the other. We also include the effect of heavy thresholds, when $SU(5)$ is chosen as the unifying group. We find that the mass--dependent procedure excludes scenarios where all susy masses are below $1\;TeV$, and favors a value of $\alpha_3(m_Z)$ near its upper experimental bound, contrary to the results obtained with the step--function approximation. We underline the dependence of the results on the procedure chosen to deal with light thresholds.Comment: 18 pages,LAEFF-93/014,REVTEX-2.1, 5 figures not included, available upon request (include FAX number)

The SuperWorlds of SU(5) and SU(5)xU(1): A Critical Assessment and Overview

We present an overview of the simplest supergravity models which enforce radiative breaking of the electroweak symmetry, namely the minimal $SU(5)$ supergravity model and the class of string-inspired/derived supergravity models based on the flipped $SU(5)\times U(1)$ structure supplemented by a minimal set of additional matter representations such that unification occurs at the string scale (\sim10^{18}\GeV). These models can be fully parametrized in terms of the top-quark mass, the ratio $\tan\beta=v_2/v_1$, and three supersymmetry breaking parameters ($m_{1/2},m_0,A$). The latter are chosen in the minimal $SU(5)$ model such that the stringent constraints from proton decay and cosmology are satisfied. In the flipped $SU(5)$ case we consider two string-inspired supersymmetry breaking scenaria: $SU(N,1)$ no-scale supergravity and a dilaton-induced supersymmetry breaking scenario. Both imply universal soft supersymmetry breaking parameters: $m_0=A=0$ and m_0=\coeff{1}{\sqrt{3}}m_{1/2}, A=-m_{1/2} respectively. We present a comparative study of the sparticle and Higgs spectra of both flipped $SU(5)$ models and the minimal $SU(5)$ model and conclude that all can be partially probed at the Tevatron and LEPII (and the flipped models at HERA too). In both flipped $SU(5)$ cases there is a more constrained version which allows to determine $\tan\beta$ in terms of $m_t,m_{\tilde g}$ and which leads to much sharper and readily accessible experimental predictions. We also discuss the prospects for indirect experimental detection: a non-trivial fraction of the parameter space of the flipped $SU(5)$ models is in conflict with the present experimental allowed range for the $b\to s\gamma$ rare decay mode, and the one-loop electroweak radiative corrections imply the 90\% CL upper boundComment: CERN-TH.6934/93, CTP-TAMU-34/93, LaTeX, 58 pages, 20 embedded figures. Complete ps file (~12000 blocks, 5.24MB) available via anonymous ftp from site tamsun.tamu.edu in directory incoming, filename: CTP-TAMU-34-93.p