CURRENT ALGEBRA AND SUPERSYMMETRY

Abstract

The implications of supersymmetry and chiral Ward identities in supersymmetric gauge theories are explored using current algebra methods, and a critical assessment is made of the relative merits of the current algebra and effective Lagrangian approaches. Using the Ward identities directly, simple derivations are given of several important properties of the condensates in supersymmetric QCD, and of the generalized Dashen formulae. The corrections to these results in the presence of explicit, soft supersymmetry breaking are calculated. A concise formula is presented for the mass splittings within pseudo Goldstone multiplets induced by soft supersymmetry breaking terms. It is shown that if this supersymmetry breaking is the θ=0 component of a chiral superfield, the supertrace of the pseudo Goldstone masses vanishes. Using current algebra reduction formulae, the pseudo Goldstone masses are calculated in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory, and supersymmetric QCD for NF<NC and NF=NC. Some differences are found between the current algebra and effective Lagrangian predictions, and their possible origins are discussed.