Preliminary Draft Introduction to Supersymmetry and Supergravity
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Introductory Lectures on Quantum Field Theory
Introductory Lectures on Quantum Field Theory a b L. Álvarez-Gaumé ∗ and M.A. Vázquez-Mozo † a CERN, Geneva, Switzerland b Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain Abstract In these lectures we present a few topics in quantum field theory in detail. Some of them are conceptual and some more practical. They have been se- lected because they appear frequently in current applications to particle physics and string theory. 1 Introduction These notes are based on lectures delivered by L.A.-G. at the 3rd CERN–Latin-American School of High- Energy Physics, Malargüe, Argentina, 27 February–12 March 2005, at the 5th CERN–Latin-American School of High-Energy Physics, Medellín, Colombia, 15–28 March 2009, and at the 6th CERN–Latin- American School of High-Energy Physics, Natal, Brazil, 23 March–5 April 2011. The audience on all three occasions was composed to a large extent of students in experimental high-energy physics with an important minority of theorists. In nearly ten hours it is quite difficult to give a reasonable introduction to a subject as vast as quantum field theory. For this reason the lectures were intended to provide a review of those parts of the subject to be used later by other lecturers. Although a cursory acquaintance with the subject of quantum field theory is helpful, the only requirement to follow the lectures is a working knowledge of quantum mechanics and special relativity. The guiding principle in choosing the topics presented (apart from serving as introductions to later courses) was to present some basic aspects of the theory that present conceptual subtleties. -
Andrew Thomson Dissertation.Pdf
PHENOMENOLOGY OF COMPACTIFICATIONS OF M-THEORY ON MANIFOLDS OF G2 HOLONOMY by Andrew James Thomson Supervisor: Kelly Stelle A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science of Imperial College London 24 September 2010 Contents I. Introduction 3 II. Holonomy and G2 manifolds 7 III. Chirality and singular manifolds 11 IV. Moduli stabilization and the hierarchy problem 14 V. Conclusion 17 References 19 2 I. Introduction The Standard Model is a phenomenally successful theory of particle physics, well tested at quantum mechanical level up to the TeV energy scale, and renormalizable (notwithstanding that the Higgs particle has not been observed yet) [1]. However there are several issues (or at least perceived ones) with the model. First of all, it only describes three of the four fundamental forces (the strong, electromagnetic and weak forces) in a quantum manner, leaving gravity still described only in a classical fashion; however we will not be concerned with this any further during this dissertation. The primary issue with which we will be concerned is the so-called hierarchy problem (also known as the weak-scale instability) – why there are two (electroweak and Planck) mass scales and why they are so far apart, why the electroweak scale is not modified at loop level by the Planck scale and whether there are any other scales between them. [1,2] One wonders why we should be concerned with as yet purely theoretical imperfections which have not yet manifested themselves in any experimental observations. One only has to look to the history of the standard model itself for a precedent for looking for physics beyond it – the earliest theories of the weak interaction, which were based on the interaction of four fermions at a point, broke down when calculated to higher order at the then unimaginably high energies of 300 GeV (Heisenberg 1939) before they had been violated by any observation. -
TASI 2008 Lectures: Introduction to Supersymmetry And
TASI 2008 Lectures: Introduction to Supersymmetry and Supersymmetry Breaking Yuri Shirman Department of Physics and Astronomy University of California, Irvine, CA 92697. [email protected] Abstract These lectures, presented at TASI 08 school, provide an introduction to supersymmetry and supersymmetry breaking. We present basic formalism of supersymmetry, super- symmetric non-renormalization theorems, and summarize non-perturbative dynamics of supersymmetric QCD. We then turn to discussion of tree level, non-perturbative, and metastable supersymmetry breaking. We introduce Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and discuss soft parameters in the Lagrangian. Finally we discuss several mech- anisms for communicating the supersymmetry breaking between the hidden and visible sectors. arXiv:0907.0039v1 [hep-ph] 1 Jul 2009 Contents 1 Introduction 2 1.1 Motivation..................................... 2 1.2 Weylfermions................................... 4 1.3 Afirstlookatsupersymmetry . .. 5 2 Constructing supersymmetric Lagrangians 6 2.1 Wess-ZuminoModel ............................... 6 2.2 Superfieldformalism .............................. 8 2.3 VectorSuperfield ................................. 12 2.4 Supersymmetric U(1)gaugetheory ....................... 13 2.5 Non-abeliangaugetheory . .. 15 3 Non-renormalization theorems 16 3.1 R-symmetry.................................... 17 3.2 Superpotentialterms . .. .. .. 17 3.3 Gaugecouplingrenormalization . ..... 19 3.4 D-termrenormalization. ... 20 4 Non-perturbative dynamics in SUSY QCD 20 4.1 Affleck-Dine-Seiberg -
Spacetime Geometry from Graviton Condensation: a New Perspective on Black Holes
Spacetime Geometry from Graviton Condensation: A new Perspective on Black Holes Sophia Zielinski née Müller München 2015 Spacetime Geometry from Graviton Condensation: A new Perspective on Black Holes Sophia Zielinski née Müller Dissertation an der Fakultät für Physik der Ludwig–Maximilians–Universität München vorgelegt von Sophia Zielinski geb. Müller aus Stuttgart München, den 18. Dezember 2015 Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Stefan Hofmann Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Georgi Dvali Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 13. April 2016 Contents Zusammenfassung ix Abstract xi Introduction 1 Naturalness problems . .1 The hierarchy problem . .1 The strong CP problem . .2 The cosmological constant problem . .3 Problems of gravity ... .3 ... in the UV . .4 ... in the IR and in general . .5 Outline . .7 I The classical description of spacetime geometry 9 1 The problem of singularities 11 1.1 Singularities in GR vs. other gauge theories . 11 1.2 Defining spacetime singularities . 12 1.3 On the singularity theorems . 13 1.3.1 Energy conditions and the Raychaudhuri equation . 13 1.3.2 Causality conditions . 15 1.3.3 Initial and boundary conditions . 16 1.3.4 Outlining the proof of the Hawking-Penrose theorem . 16 1.3.5 Discussion on the Hawking-Penrose theorem . 17 1.4 Limitations of singularity forecasts . 17 2 Towards a quantum theoretical probing of classical black holes 19 2.1 Defining quantum mechanical singularities . 19 2.1.1 Checking for quantum mechanical singularities in an example spacetime . 21 2.2 Extending the singularity analysis to quantum field theory . 22 2.2.1 Schrödinger representation of quantum field theory . 23 2.2.2 Quantum field probes of black hole singularities . -
SLAC-PUB3031 January 1983 (T) SPONTANEOUS CP VIOLATION IN
SLAC-PUB3031 January 1983 (T) - . SPONTANEOUS CP VIOLATION IN EXTENDED TECHNICOLOR MODELS WITH HORIZONTAL V(2)t @ U(~)R FLAVOR SYMMETRIES (II)* WILLIAM GOLDSTEIN Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Stanford University, Stanford, California S&l05 ABSTRACT -- The results presented in Part I of this paper are extended to-include previously neglected electro-weak degrees of freedom, and are illustrated in a toy model. A problem associated with colored technifermions is identified and discussed. Some hope is offered for the disappointing quark mass matrix obtained in Part I. Submitted to Nuclear Physics B * Work supported by the Department of Energy, contract DEAC03-76SF00515. 1. INTRODUCTION In a previous paper [l], hereafter referred to as I, we investigated sponta- neous CP violation in a class of extended technicolor (ETC) models [2,3,4,5]. We constructed the effective Hamiltonian generated by broken EZ’C interactions and minimized its contribution to the vacuum energy, as called for by Dashen’s - . Theorem [S]. As originally pointed out by Dashen, and more recently by Eichten, Lane and Preskill in the context of the EK’ program, this aligning of the chiral vacuum and Hamiltonian can lead to CP violation from an initially CP symmet- ric theory [7,8]. The ETC models analyzed in I were distinguished by the global flavor invari- ance of the color-technicolor forces: GF = n u(2)L @ u@)R (1) For-- these models, we found that, in general, the occurrence of spontaneous CP violation is tied to CP nonconservation in the strong interactions and, thus, - to an unacceptably large neutron electric dipole moment. -
Technicolor Evolution Elizabeth H
Technicolor Evolution Elizabeth H. Simmons∗ Physics Department, Boston University† This talk describes how modern theories of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking have evolved from the original minimal QCD-like technicolor model in response to three key challenges: Rb, flavor-changing neutral currents, and weak isospin violation. 1. Introduction In order to understand the origin of mass, we must find both the cause of electroweak symme- try breaking, through which the W and Z bosons obtain mass, and the cause of flavor symmetry breaking, by which the quarks and leptons obtain their diverse masses and mixings. The Standard Higgs Model of particle physics, based on the gauge group SU(3)c × SU(2)W × U(1)Y accommo- dates both symmetry breakings by including a fundamental weak doublet of scalar (“Higgs”) + 2 = φ = † − 1 2 bosons φ φ0 with potential function V (φ) λ φ φ 2 v . However the Standard Model does not explain the dynamics responsible for the generation of mass. Furthermore, the scalar sector suffers from two serious problems. The scalar mass is unnaturally sensitive to the pres- ence of physics at any higher scale Λ (e.g. the Planck scale), as shown in fig. 1. This is known as the gauge hierarchy problem. In addition, if the scalar must provide a good description of physics up to arbitrarily high scale (i.e., be fundamental), the scalar’s self-coupling (λ) is driven to zero at finite energy scales as indicated in fig. 1. That is, the scalar field theory is free (or “trivial”). Then the scalar cannot fill its intended role: if λ = 0, the electroweak symmetry is not spontaneously broken. -
Aspects of Supersymmetry and Its Breaking
1 Aspects of Supersymmetry and its Breaking a b Thomas T. Dumitrescu ∗ and Zohar Komargodski † aDepartment of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA bSchool of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, USA We describe some basic aspects of supersymmetric field theories, emphasizing the structure of various supersym- metry multiplets. In particular, we discuss supercurrents – multiplets which contain the supersymmetry current and the energy-momentum tensor – and explain how they can be used to constrain the dynamics of supersym- metric field theories, supersymmetry breaking, and supergravity. These notes are based on lectures delivered at the Carg´ese Summer School 2010 on “String Theory: Formal Developments and Applications,” and the CERN Winter School 2011 on “Supergravity, Strings, and Gauge Theory.” 1. Supersymmetric Theories In this review we will describe some basic aspects of SUSY field theories, emphasizing the structure 1.1. Supermultiplets and Superfields of various supermultiplets – especially those con- A four-dimensional theory possesses = 1 taining the supersymmetry current. In particu- supersymmetry (SUSY) if it contains Na con- 1 lar, we will show how these supercurrents can be served spin- 2 charge Qα which satisfies the anti- used to study the dynamics of supersymmetric commutation relation field theories, SUSY-breaking, and supergravity. ¯ µ Qα, Qα˙ = 2σαα˙ Pµ . (1) We begin by recalling basic facts about super- { } multiplets and superfields. A set of bosonic and Here Q¯ is the Hermitian conjugate of Q . (We α˙ α fermionic operators B(x) and F (x) fur- will use bars throughout to denote Hermitian con- i i nishes a supermultiplet{O if these} operators{O satisfy} jugation.) Unless otherwise stated, we follow the commutation relations of the schematic form conventions of [1]. -
Investigation of Theories Beyond the Standard Model
Investigation of Theories beyond the Standard Model Sajid Ali1, Georg Bergner2, Henning Gerber1, Pietro Giudice1, Istvan´ Montvay3, Gernot Munster¨ 1, Stefano Piemonte4, and Philipp Scior1 1 Institut fur¨ Theoretische Physik, Universitat¨ Munster,¨ Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 9, D-48149 Munster¨ E-mail: fsajid.ali, h.gerber, p.giudice, munsteg, [email protected] 2 Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut, Universitat¨ Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, D-07743 Jena E-mail: [email protected] 3 Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestr. 85, D-22603 Hamburg E-mail: [email protected] 4 Fakultat¨ fur¨ Physik, Universitat¨ Regensburg, Universitatsstr.¨ 31, D-93053 Regensburg E-mail: [email protected] The fundamental constituents of matter and the forces between them are splendidly described by the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. Despite its great success, it will be superseded by more comprehensive theories that are able to include phenomena, which are not covered by the Standard Model. Among the attempts in this direction are supersymmetry and Technicolor models. We report about our non-perturbative investigations of the characteristic properties of such models by numerical simulations on high-performance computers. 1 Introduction The physics of elementary particles has a marvellous theoretical framework available, which is called the Standard Model. It accurately describes a vast number of phenom- ena and experiments. In the Standard Model the fundamental interactions among parti- cles are described in terms of gauge field theories, which are characterized by an infinite- dimensional group of symmetries. Despite its great success it is evident that the Standard Model does not offer a complete description of the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions. -
Introduction to Supersymmetry
Introduction to Supersymmetry Pre-SUSY Summer School Corpus Christi, Texas May 15-18, 2019 Stephen P. Martin Northern Illinois University [email protected] 1 Topics: Why: Motivation for supersymmetry (SUSY) • What: SUSY Lagrangians, SUSY breaking and the Minimal • Supersymmetric Standard Model, superpartner decays Who: Sorry, not covered. • For some more details and a slightly better attempt at proper referencing: A supersymmetry primer, hep-ph/9709356, version 7, January 2016 • TASI 2011 lectures notes: two-component fermion notation and • supersymmetry, arXiv:1205.4076. If you find corrections, please do let me know! 2 Lecture 1: Motivation and Introduction to Supersymmetry Motivation: The Hierarchy Problem • Supermultiplets • Particle content of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model • (MSSM) Need for “soft” breaking of supersymmetry • The Wess-Zumino Model • 3 People have cited many reasons why extensions of the Standard Model might involve supersymmetry (SUSY). Some of them are: A possible cold dark matter particle • A light Higgs boson, M = 125 GeV • h Unification of gauge couplings • Mathematical elegance, beauty • ⋆ “What does that even mean? No such thing!” – Some modern pundits ⋆ “We beg to differ.” – Einstein, Dirac, . However, for me, the single compelling reason is: The Hierarchy Problem • 4 An analogy: Coulomb self-energy correction to the electron’s mass A point-like electron would have an infinite classical electrostatic energy. Instead, suppose the electron is a solid sphere of uniform charge density and radius R. An undergraduate problem gives: 3e2 ∆ECoulomb = 20πǫ0R 2 Interpreting this as a correction ∆me = ∆ECoulomb/c to the electron mass: 15 0.86 10− meters m = m + (1 MeV/c2) × . -
Collider Signals of Bosonic Technicolor
W&M ScholarWorks Undergraduate Honors Theses Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2013 Collider Signals of Bosonic Technicolor Jennifer Hays College of William and Mary Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses Part of the Physics Commons Recommended Citation Hays, Jennifer, "Collider Signals of Bosonic Technicolor" (2013). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 625. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/625 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract We propose a model of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking (EWSB) that includes a technicolor sector and a Higgs-like boson. The model includes a bound state of technifermions held together 0 by a new strong interaction, denoted πTC , which decays like a Standard Model (SM) higgs boson. By observing an excess in diphoton final states, the ATLAS and CMS collaborations have recently discovered a Higgs-like boson at 125 GeV. For m 0 < 200 GeV, we determine πTC bounds on our model from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) search for new scalar bosons 0 decaying to γγ. For m 0 > 200 GeV, we consider the dominant decay mode πTC ! Zσ, πTC where σ is a scalar boson of the model. An excess in this channel could provide evidence of the new pseudoscalar. i Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 The Need for Electroweak Symmetry Breaking . .1 1.2 Technicolor Models . .2 1.3 Bosonic Technicolor . -
Minimal Walking Technicolor: Phenomenology and Lattice Studies
Minimal Walking Technicolor: Phenomenology and Lattice Studies Kimmo Tuominen Department of Physics, University of Jyv¨askyl¨a, Finland Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland 1 Introduction and a concrete model During recent years there has been lot of theoretical effort dedicated to understand the dynamics of (quasi)conformal gauge theories, i.e. theories in which the evolution of the coupling towards the infrared is governed by a (quasi)stable fixed point. Along these lines, important recent progress towards the understanding of the phase diagram of strongly coupled gauge theories as a function of the number of flavors, colors and matter representations was made in [1, 2]. These results, then, allowed one to uncover new walking technicolor theories where the walking behavior arises with minimal matter content and also led to concrete models of the unparticle concept [3] in terms of the underlying strong dynamics [4]. Particularly simple candidates for walking technicolor were identified in [1] as the ones with Nf = 2 either in the adjoint representation of SU(2) or in the sextet representation of SU(3). In this presentation we concentrate in detail on the first of the above mentioned two cases, i.e. the minimal walking technicolor (MWTC). As a specific technicolor model, this model resolves the naturality, hierarchy and triviality problems of the Standard Model (SM) in the usual way. Due to the proposed walking dynamics, if embedded within an extended technicolor (ETC) framework [5], this model allows one to suppress flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) down to the observed level yet generating phenomenologically feasible quark mass spectrum. -
Lectures on N = 2 Gauge Theory
Preprint typeset in JHEP style - HYPER VERSION Lectures on N = 2 gauge theory Davide Gaiotto Abstract: In a series of four lectures I will review classic results and recent developments in four dimensional N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theory. Lecture 1 and 2 review the standard lore: some basic definitions and the Seiberg-Witten description of the low energy dynamics of various gauge theories. In Lecture 3 we review the six-dimensional engineering approach, which allows one to define a very large class of N = 2 field theories and determine their low energy effective Lagrangian, their S-duality properties and much more. Lecture 4 will focus on properties of extended objects, such as line operators and surface operators. Contents I Lecture 1 1 1. Seiberg-Witten solution of pure SU(2) gauge theory 5 2. Solution of SU(N) gauge theory 7 II Lecture 2 8 3. Nf = 1 SU(2) 10 4. Solution of SU(N) gauge theory with fundamental flavors 11 4.1 Linear quivers of unitary gauge groups 12 Field theories with N = 2 supersymmetry in four dimensions are a beautiful theoretical playground: this amount of supersymmetry allows many exact computations, but does not fix the Lagrangian uniquely. Rather, one can write down a large variety of asymptotically free N = 2 supersymmetric Lagrangians. In this lectures we will not include a review of supersymmetric field theory. We will not give a systematic derivation of the Lagrangian for N = 2 field theories either. We will simply describe whatever facts we need to know at the beginning of each lecture.