On the nature of the anomalies in the supersymmetric kink

TL;DR

This paper explores whether all anomalies in the supersymmetry algebra of a specific 1+1 dimensional model can be absorbed by a local counter term, affecting the renormalization scheme without altering physical outcomes.

Contribution

It demonstrates that all anomalies in the supersymmetric kink model can be absorbed through a local counter term, changing the vacuum parameter without impacting physical properties.

Findings

All anomalies can be absorbed by a local counter term.

The counter term corresponds to changing the vacuum parameter.

Physical consequences like BPS saturation remain unaffected.

Abstract

We discuss the possibility to absorb all anomalies in the supersymmetry algebra of the N=(1,1) Wess-Zumino model in d=1+1 by a local counter term. This counter term corresponds to the change of the vacuum parameter $v_0^2$ in the model and the transition to an unconventional but admissible renormalization scheme. It does not modify the physical consequences such as BPS saturation, and thus the situation is rather different from gauge theory where local counter terms are required to absorb spurious gauge anomalies.