A Supersymmetry Anomaly

TL;DR

This paper identifies a supersymmetry anomaly arising from non-perturbative fields, showing that anomalous surface terms violate SUSY Ward identities in quantum field theory.

Contribution

It reveals a new supersymmetry anomaly linked to non-perturbative effects and surface terms in the variation of the action.

Findings

Anomalous surface terms appear in supersymmetric variations.

These terms do not vanish in multi-loop diagrams.

The anomaly leads to violations of SUSY Ward identities.

Abstract

A supersymmetry anomaly is found in the presence of non-perturbative fields. When the action is expressed in terms of the correct quantum variables, anomalous surface terms appear in its supersymmetric variation - one per each collective coordinate. The anomalous surface terms do not vanish in general when inserted in two- or higher-loop bubble diagrams, and generate a violation of the SUSY Ward identities.