Theory and phenomenology of sparticles : an account of four-dimensional N = 1 supersymmetry in high energy physics

This book is an authoritative and current introduction to supersymmetry (SUSY). It is well-written with clear and consistent notation. The book assumes familiarity with quantum field theory and the Standard Model. SUSY is developed from the point of view of superfields, which can be somewhat abstract, but is elegant and rigorous. The subject matter is introduced in a systematic and well-organized manner. Supersymmetry or SUSY, one of the most beautiful recent ideas of physics, predicts sparticles existing as superpartners of particles. This book gives a theoretical and phenomenological account of sparticles. Starting from a basic level, it provides a comprehensive, pedagogical and user-friendly treatment of the subject of four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetry as well as its observational aspects in high energy physics and cosmology. Part One of the book introduces the requisite formal theory, preceded by a discussion of the naturalness problem. Part Two describes the supersymmetrization of the Standard Model of particle interactions as well as the origin of soft supersymmetry breaking and how it can be mediated from higher energies. Search strategies for sparticles, supersymmetric Higgs bosons, nonminimal scenarios and cosmological implications are some of the other topics covered. Novel features of the book include a dictionary between two-component and four-component spinor notation, a step-by-step derivation of the nonrenormalization theorem, an extended discussion of supersymmetric renormalization group evolution, detailed analyses of minimal and nonminimal models with gravity (including anomaly) mediated and gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking as well as elaborate self-contained presentations of collider signals of sparticles plus supersymmetric Higgs bosons and of supersymmetric cosmology. Appendices list all Feynman rules for the vertices of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We first give a brief factual account of the history [1.1] of supersymmetry, leaving a more pedagogical development to later sections and chapters.