Democracy of internal symmetries in supersymmetrical quantum field theory

Abstract

The freedom of choice of some discrete and internal symmetries in the supersymmetric, massive, interacting quantum field theory is discussed. It is shown that the discrete symmetry consisting of changing the sign of some (not all) scalar fields is incompatible with the supersymmetric structure of the theory. It is further demonstrated that an internal symmetry which transforms only some of the fields of fixed spin leaving the other fields invariant and which acts nontrivially on the supercharges can not be admitted as a symmetry; although it can be a good internal symmetry in absence of supersymmetric covariance. Moreover, in case of a model consisting of scalar, spinor and vector fields even a symmetry which transforms all of the scalar (vector) fields leaving spinor and vector (scalar) fields unaffected is ruled out provided it acts nontrivially on some of the supercharges.