Topics in String Unification

I discuss several aspects of strings as unified theories. After recalling the difficulties of the simplest supersymmetric grand unification schemes I emphasize the distinct features of string unification. An important role in constraining the effective low energy physics from strings is played by $duality$ symmetries. The discussed topics include the unification of coupling constants (computation of $\sin ^2\theta _W$ and $\alpha _s$ at the weak scale), supersymmetry breaking through gaugino condensation, and properties of the induced SUSY-breaking soft terms. I remark that departures from universality in the soft terms are (in contrast to the minimal SUSY model) generically expected.Comment: 22 pages. Talk given at the ``Workshop on Electroweak Physics Beyond the Standard Model'', Valencia, 3-5 October 199

The Fluxed MSSM

Recent developemnts in string compactifications in the presence of antisymmetric field backgrounds suggest a new simple and predictive structure for soft terms in the MSSM depending only on two parameters. They give rise to a positive definite scalar potential, a solution to the $\mu$-problem, flavor universality and absence of a SUSY-CP problem.Comment: 23 pages, no figures. Addendum on intersecting D7-branes included. Referencese added and minor change

A Chiral D=4, N=1 String Vacuum with a Finite Low Energy Effective Field Theory

Supersymmetric N=1, D=4 string vacua are known to be finite in perturbation theory. However, the effective low energy D=4, N=1 field theory lagrangian does not yield in general finite theories. In this note we present the first (to our knowledge) such an example. It may be constructed in three dual ways: i) as a $Z_3$, SO(32) heterotic orbifold; ii) as a Type -IIB, $Z_3$ orientifold with only ninebranes and a Wilson line or iii) as a Type-IIB, $Z_6$ orientifold with only fivebranes. The gauge group is $SU(4)^3$ with three chiral generations. Although chiral, a subsector of the model is continuosly connected to a model with global N=4 supersymmetry. From the $Z_6$, Type IIB orientifold point of view the above connection may be understood as a transition of four dynamical fivebranes from a fixed point to the bulk. The N=1 model is thus also expected to be S-dual. We also remark that, using the untwisted dilaton and moduli fields of these constructions as spurion fields, yields soft SUSY-breaking terms which preserve finiteness even for N=0.Comment: 8 pages, LaTe

The Inflaton as a MSSM Higgs and Open String Modulus Monodromy Inflation

It has been recently pointed out that the polarization BICEP2 results are consistent with the identification of an inflaton mass m \simeq 10^{13} GeV with the SUSY breaking scale in an MSSM with a fine-tuned SM Higgs. This identification leads to a Higgs mass m_h \simeq 126 GeV, consistent with LHC measurements. Here we propose that this naturally suggests to identify the inflaton with the heavy MSSM Higgs system. The fact that the extrapolated Higgs coupling lambda_{SM}\simeq 0 at scales below the Planck scale suggests the Higgs degrees of freedom could be associated to a Wilson line or D-brane position modulus in string theory. The Higgs system then has a shift symmetry and an N=2 structure which guarantees that its potential has an approximate quadratic chaotic inflation form. These moduli in string compactifications, being compact, allow for a trans-Planckian inflaton field range analogous to a version of monodromy inflation.Comment: 6 pages. Misprints corrected, references adde