Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2024 / iii / Paper 307 / 2

A chiral superfield obeysExamples in the Minimal supersymmetric Standard Model include the quark, lepton and Higgs chiral superfields. Such a multiplet contains a complex scalar $\varphi$, a two-component Weyl spinor $\psi$, and a complex auxiliary field $F$; only the scalar and fermion propagate on shell.

The chiral coordinate $y^{\mu }=x^{\mu }+i\theta {\sigma }^{\mu }\bar{\theta }$ is annihilated in the required combination by ${\bar{D}}_{\dot{\alpha }}$, so the solution has the simple formTaylor-expand each component about $x$. Nilpotence truncates the series, and the Grassmann identitygives the chiral-superfield component expansionTherefore

Only the Weyl fermions in the charged chiral multiplets contribute to the Abelian triangle gauge anomaly. Their cubic coefficient isand the mixed gauge-gravitational coefficient is $2+0-2=0$. Diagrammatically, the oppositely charged $X_{2+}$ and $X_{2-}$ fermion triangles have equal magnitudes and opposite signs. The neutral gaugino also contributes nothing, so the theory is anomaly free.

Gauge invariance and renormalizability permit the most general superpotentialAfter setting the linear and quadratic parameters to zero, the supersymmetric non-renormalization theorem ensures that perturbative quantum corrections do not regenerate them in the Wilsonian superpotential.

Write the scalar components as $x_{+},x_0,x_{-}$. For generic nonzero $\lambda ,y$, the F-term scalar potential and D-term scalar potential, including a Fayet–Iliopoulos term, areEvery term is nonnegative. The F-flat equations force $x_0=0$ and $x_{+}{x}_{-}=0$. If $\xi >0$, the vacuumalso makes $D=0$; if $\xi <0$, interchange $x_{+}$ and $x_{-}$ and use $|x_{+}{|}^2=-\xi /(2g)$. Thus for nonzero $\xi$ the charged vacuum expectation value spontaneously breaks the gauged $U(1)$ through the Higgs mechanism, but $F_i=D=0$ means supersymmetry remains unbroken. For $\xi =0$, the origin preserves both the gauge symmetry and supersymmetry.