Five-dimensional Massive Vector Fields and Radion Stabilization

TL;DR

This paper explores five-dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories with orbifold compactification, focusing on the Higgs mechanism, supersymmetry breaking, and radion stabilization, revealing conditions for positive or zero vacuum energy.

Contribution

It provides a superfield formalism description of the 5D Higgs mechanism and demonstrates radion stabilization with adjustable vacuum energy in supersymmetric models.

Findings

Radion can be stabilized with positive vacuum energy.

Vector and hypermultiplet masses can be fine-tuned for zero vacuum energy.

Supersymmetry breaking is achieved via Scherk-Schwarz mechanism.

Abstract

We provide a description of the five-dimensional Higgs mechanism in supersymmetric gauge theories compactified on the orbifold S^1/Z_2 by means of the N=1 superfield formalism. Goldstone bosons absorbed by vector multiplets can come either from hypermultiplets or from gauge multiplets of opposite parity (Hosotani mechanism). Supersymmetry is broken by the Scherk-Schwarz mechanism. In the presence of massive hypermultiplets and gauge multiplets, with different supersymmetric masses, the radion can be stabilized with positive (de Sitter) vacuum energy. The masses of vector and hypermultiplets can be fine-tuned to have zero (Minkowski) vacuum energy.