Search

Using the constrained superfields formalism to describe the interactions of a light goldstino to matter fields in supersymmetric models, we identify generalised, higher-order holomorphic superfield constraints that project out the superpartners and capture the non-universal couplings of the goldstino to matter fields. These arise from microscopic theories in which heavy superpartners masses are of the order of the supersymmetry breaking scale (\sqrt f). In the decoupling limit of infinite superpartners masses, these constraints reduce to the familiar, lower-order universal constraints discussed recently, that describe the universal goldstino-matter fields couplings, suppressed by inverse powers of \sqrt f. We initiate the study of the couplings of the Standard Model (SM) fields to goldstino in the constrained superfields formalism., Comment: 28 pages; one comment added

We study leptogenesis in supersymmetric SO(10) models with a left-right symmetric seesaw mechanism, including flavour effects and the contribution of the next-to-lightest right-handed neutrino. Assuming M_D = M_u and hierarchical light neutrino masses, we find that successful leptogenesis is possible for 4 out of the 8 right-handed neutrino mass spectra that are compatible with the observed neutrino data. An accurate description of charged fermion masses appears to be an important ingredient in the analysis., Comment: Submitted for the SUSY07 proceedings, 4 pages, 9 figures

We study the contraints on non-flavour-blind soft supersymmetry breaking terms coming from flavour and CP violating processes in the presence of hierarchical Yukawa couplings, and quantify how much these constraints are weakened in the regions of the MSSM parameter space characterized by heavy gauginos and multi-TeV sfermion masses, respectively. We also study the inverted sfermion mass hierarchy scenario in the context of D-term supersymmetry breaking, and show that generic hierarchical Yukawa couplings with arbitrary phases require first generation squarks in the few 10 TeV range., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Talk given at the XLth Rencontres de Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Aosta Valley, Italy, 5-12 March 2005. V3: one reference corrected

We give detailed predictions for diffractive SUSY Higgs boson and top squark associated productions at the LHC via the exclusive double pomeron exchange mechanism. We study how the SUSY Higgs cross section and the signal over background ratio are enhanced as a function of tangent beta in different regimes. The prospects are particularly promising in the ``anti-decoupling'' regime, which we study in detail. We also give the prospects for a precise measurement of the top squark mass using the threshold scan of central diffractive associated top squark events at the LHC., Comment: 14 pages, 6 figs

We reconsider models of fermion masses and mixings based on a gauge anomalous horizontal U(1) symmetry. In the simplest model with a single flavon field and horizontal charges of the same sign for all Standard Model fields, only very few charge assignements are allowed when all experimental data, including neutrino oscillation data, is taken into account. We show that a precise description of the observed fermion masses and mixing angles can easily be obtained by generating sets of the order one parameters left unconstrained by the U(1) symmetry. The corresponding Yukawa matrices show several interesting features which may be important for flavour changing neutral currents and CP violation effects in supersymmetric models., Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures

Theoretical and phenomenological implications of R-parity violation in supersymmetric theories are discussed in the context of particle physics and cosmology. Fundamental aspects include the relation with continuous and discrete symmetries and the various allowed patterns of R-parity breaking. Recent developments on the generation of neutrino masses and mixings within different scenarios of R-parity violation are discussed. The possible contribution of R-parity-violating Yukawa couplings in processes involving virtual supersymmetric particles and the resulting constraints are reviewed. Finally, direct production of supersymmetric particles and their decays in the presence of R-parity-violating couplings is discussed together with a survey of existing constraints from collider experiments., Comment: 263 pages, latex, updated version submitted to Physics Reports

This report summarizes the work of the "R-parity violation group" of the French Research Network (GDR) in Supersymmetry, concerning the physics of supersymmetric models without conservation of R-parity at HERA, LEP, Tevatron and LHC and limits on R-parity violating couplings from various processes. The report includes a discussion of the recent searches at the HERA experiment, prospects for new experiments, a review of the existing limits, and also theoretically motivated alternatives to R-parity and a brief discussion on the implications of R-parity violation on the neutrino masses., Comment: 60 pages, LaTeX, 22 figures, 2 tables

We study supersymmetric models of lepton and baryon number violation based on an abelian family gauge group. Due to possible lepton-Higgs mixing, the lepton violating couplings are related to the Yukawa couplings and may be generated by them even if they were absent in the original theory. Such terms may be dominant and are not given by the naive family charge counting rules. This enhancement mechanism can provide an alignment between lepton-number violating terms and Yukawa couplings: as a result they conserve quark flavour. A natural way of suppressing baryon number violation in this class of models is also proposed., Comment: 11 pages

In models with an anomalous abelian symmetry broken at a very large scale, we study which requirements to impose on the anomalous charges in order to prevent standard model fields from acquiring large vacuum expectation values. The use of holomorphic invariants to study D-flat directions for the anomalous symmetry, proves to be a very powerful tool. We find that in order to forbid unphysical vacuum configurations at that scale, the superpotential must contain many interaction terms, including the usual Yukawa terms. Our analysis suggests that the anomalous charge of the \mu-term is zero. It is remarkable that, together with the seesaw mechanism, and mass hierarchies, this implies a natural conservation of R-parity., Comment: 16 pages, latex, no figures

We show that models with an abelian family symmetry which accounts for the observed hierarchies of masses and mixings in the quark sector may also accomodate quasi-degeneracies in the neutrino mass spectrum. Such approximate degeneracies are, in this context, associated with large mixing angles. The parameters of this class of models are constrained. We discuss their phenomenological implications for present and foreseen neutrino experiments., Comment: 24 pages, latex

The observed hierarchy of quark and lepton masses and mixings may be obtained by adding an abelian family symmetry to the Minimal Supersymmetric Model and coupling quarks and leptons to an electroweak singlet scalar field. In a large class of such models, this symmetry suffers from anomalies which must be compensated by the Green-Schwarz mechanism; this in turn fixes the electroweak mixing angle to be $\sin^2 \theta_W = 3/8$ at the string scale, without any assumed GUT structure. The analysis is extended to two distinct generalisations of the Standard Model: neutrino masses and mixings and R-parity violating interactions., Comment: 28 pages