Condensate cosmology in O'Raifeartaigh models

TL;DR

This paper explores the formation, decay, and cosmological implications of R-balls, non-topological solitons in O'Raifeartaigh models, highlighting their potential roles in reheating, dark matter, and universe cooling.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of R-ball dynamics in different SUSY breaking scenarios and their impact on early universe cosmology.

Findings

R-balls form through condensate fragmentation during inflation

Decay channels depend on R-symmetry breaking, affecting reheating and dark matter

R-balls can either reheat or cool the universe based on their decay modes

Abstract

Flat directions charged under an R-symmetry are a generic feature of O'Raifeartaigh models. Non-topological solitons associated with this symmetry, R-balls, are likely to form through the fragmentation of a condensate, itself created by soft terms induced during inflation. In gravity mediated SUSY breaking R-balls decay to gravitinos, reheating the universe. For gauge mediation R-balls can provide a good dark matter candidate. Alternatively they can decay, either reheating or cooling the universe. Conserved R-symmetry permits decay to gravitinos or gauginos, whereas spontaneously broken R-symmetry results in decay to visible sector gauge bosons.