Supersymmetry without Supersymmetry

TL;DR

This paper constructs four-dimensional M-theory vacua with unbroken supersymmetry that appear non-supersymmetric in perturbative Type IIA string theory due to hidden Dirichlet 0-branes, revealing new non-perturbative supersymmetric states.

Contribution

It introduces a class of M-theory vacua with unbroken supersymmetry hidden from perturbative Type IIA string theory, involving U(1) fibrations and Dirichlet 0-branes.

Findings

Existence of M-theory vacua with hidden supersymmetry

Presence of massless Dirichlet 0-branes in these vacua

Perturbative Type IIA string theory cannot detect the supersymmetry due to missing RR charge

Abstract

We present four-dimensional M-theory vacua with N>0 supersymmetry which, from the perspective of perturbative Type IIA string theory, have N=0. Such vacua can appear when the compactifying 7-manifold is a U(1) fibration. The missing superpartners are Dirichlet 0-branes. Someone unable to detect Ramond-Ramond charge would thus conclude that these worlds have no unbroken supersymmetry. In particular, the gravitinos (and also some of the gauge bosons) are 0-branes not seen in perturbation theory but which curiously remain massless however weak the string coupling.