Supersymmetry breaking and gauge mediation in models with a generic superpotential

We present a general scheme for finding or creating a metastable vacuum in supersymmetric theories. By using the formalism, we show that there is a parameter region where a metastable vacuum exists in the Wess-Zumino model coupled to messenger fields. This model serves as a perturbative renormalizable model of direct gauge mediation.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figures. v2 two loop corrections and references added. to appear in PL

Gravitational Correction to Fuzzy String in Metastable Brane Configuration

We study dynamics of a cosmic string in a metastable brane configuration in Type IIA string theory. We first discuss a decay process of the cosmic string via a fuzzy brane (equivalently bubble/string bound state) by neglecting gravitational corrections in ten-dimension. We find that depending on the strength of the magnetic field induced on the bubble, the decay rate can be either larger or smaller than that of $O(4)$ symmetric bubble. Then, we investigate gravitational corrections to the fuzzy brane by using the extremal black $NS$-five brane solution, which makes the lifetime of the metastable state longer.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figure

Radiation of Supersymmetric Particles from Aharonov-Bohm R-string

We study radiation of supersymmetric particles from an Aharonov-Bohm string associated with a discrete R-symmetry. Radiation of the lightest supersymmetric particle, when combined with the observed dark matter density, imposes constraints on the string tension or the freeze-out temperature of the particle. We also calculate the amplitude for Aharonov-Bohm radiation of massive spin $3/2$ particles.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures, v2: typos corrected,v3: section 3.2 and appendix B adde

Light Gauginos and Conformal Sequestering

In a wide class of direct and semi-direct gauge mediation models, it has been observed that the gaugino masses vanish at leading order. It implies that there is a hierarchy between the gaugino and sfermion masses, invoking a fine-tuning problem in the Higgs sector via radiative corrections. In this paper, we explore the possibility of solving this anomalously light gaugino problem exploiting strong conformal dynamics in the hidden sector. With a mild assumption on the anomalous dimensions of the hidden sector operators, we show that the next to leading order contributions to the gaugino masses can naturally be in the same order as the sfermion masses. \mu/B_\mu problem is also discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure. References adde

Baryon as Impurity for Phase Transition in String Landscape

We consider a decay of a false vacuum in flux compactifications of type IIB string theory and study a catalytic effect for a phase transition induced by a new type of impurities. We concentrate on the large N dual of a D5-brane/anti-D5-brane system which has a rich vacuum structure. We show that D3-branes wrapping the 3-cycles can form a dibaryon and make a bound state with a monopole. We find that these baryon-like objects can make the lifetime of the metastable vacuum shorter.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figure

Supersymmetry Breaking and Gauge Mediation

We review recent works on supersymmetry breaking and gauge mediation. We survey our current understanding of dynamical supersymmetry breaking mechanisms and describe new model building tools using duality, meta-stability, and stringy construction. We discuss phenomenological constraints and their solutions, paying attentions to issues with gaugino masses and electroweak symmetry breaking.Comment: 42 pages, 9 figures, invited review to appear in Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. v2: references adde