SUSY Flat Directions—to get a VEV or not?

Abstract

We investigate the potential of SUSY flat directions (FDs). Large FD vacuum expectation values (VEVs) can delay thermalisation and solve the gravitino problem—if FDs decay perturbatively. This depends on how many and which directions get the VEVs. Recently the decay of the FDs have been studied with the VEVs as input. Here we look at how the VEVs come about—statistically and analytically.