Four-Dimensional Higher-Derivative Supergravity and Spontaneous Supersymmetry Breaking

TL;DR

This paper develops two classes of higher-derivative supergravity theories, analyzes their vacuum structures, and demonstrates the possibility of spontaneous supersymmetry breaking with a stable, zero cosmological constant vacuum.

Contribution

It introduces two new classes of higher-derivative supergravity models and explores their vacuum structures and supersymmetry breaking mechanisms.

Findings

First class is equivalent to Einstein supergravity with one chiral superfield.

Second class has a richer vacuum structure with potential for spontaneous supersymmetry breaking.

Explicit example shows stable vacuum with zero cosmological constant and broken supersymmetry.

Abstract

We construct two classes of higher-derivative supergravity theories generalizing Einstein supergravity. We explore their dynamical content as well as their vacuum structure. The first class is found to be equivalent to Einstein supergravity coupled to a single chiral superfield. It has a unique stable vacuum solution except in a special case, when it becomes identical to a simple no-scale theory. The second class is found to be equivalent to Einstein supergravity coupled to two chiral superfields and has a richer vacuum structure. It is demonstrated that theories of the second class can possess a stable vacuum with vanishing cosmological constant that spontaneously breaks supersymmetry. We present an explicit example of this phenomenon and compare the result with the Polonyi model.