The low-energy effective field theory from four-dimensional superstrings

Abstract

We derive the low-energy effective supergravity field theory obtained from a fermionic formulation of four-dimensional superstrings. It contains a single dilaton supermultiplet parametrizing an SU(1, 1)/U(1) manifold, three self-conjugate sets of matter supermultiplets parametrizing SO( m, 2)/SO( m)×SO(2) manifolds, and chiral matter supermultiplets parametrizing a product of SU( M, 1)/SU( M)×U(1) manifolds. We derive the Yukawa couplings of the theory and identify some of the self-conjugate matter fields as Higgses. We also discuss the possible pattern of supersymmetry breaking.