Vacuum alignment and dynamical mass generation in supersymmetric gauge theories (II)

Abstract

Novel features of the vacuum alignment problem in supersymmetric gauge theories with dynamical gauge symmetry breaking are discussed. These theories comprise a strong interaction sector with gauge group G s and a global chiral symmetry G spontaneously broken to H. A weak subgroup G w of G is gauged. It is shown that in supersymmetric theories the G w interactions determine not only the relative alignment of H and G w , but also the group H itself. In contrast to conventional theories, the G w interactions can induce a chiral symmetry breaking pattern where G/H is not a symmetric space. This effect is demonstrated in a simple technicolour model which also serves to illustrate many of the interesting features of the recently developed general theory of dynamical gauge symmetry breaking in supersymmetric theories. The complete vacuum alignment criterion for theories with a Fayet-Iliopoulos term is given.