SUSY Flat Directions -- to get a VEV or not?

TL;DR

This paper examines the origins and implications of vacuum expectation values in supersymmetric flat directions, analyzing their decay and impact on early universe thermalization and gravitino issues.

Contribution

It provides a statistical and analytical study of how flat direction VEVs develop, influencing their decay and cosmological effects.

Findings

Large VEVs can delay thermalization and address the gravitino problem

Decay of flat directions depends on which and how many directions acquire VEVs

The study offers new insights into the formation of VEVs in SUSY flat directions

Abstract

We investigate the potential of SUSY flat directions (FDs). Large FD vacuum expectation values (VEVs) can delay thermalisation and solve the gravitino problem - if FDs decay perturbatively. This depends on how many and which directions get the VEVs. Recently the decay of the FDs have been studied with the VEVs as input. Here we look at how the VEVs come about -- statistically and analytically.