On the Cosmological Domain Wall Problem for the Minimally Extended Supersymmetric Standard Model

Journal article

We study the cosmology of the Supersymmetric Standard Model augmented by a gauge singlet to solve the $\mu$-problem and describe the evolution of the domain walls which are created during electroweak symmetry breaking due to the discrete $Z_{3}$ symmetry in this model. The usual assumption, that non-renormalizable terms induced by gravity (which explicitly break this symmetry) may cause the walls to collapse on a cosmologically safe timescale, is reconsidered. Such terms are constrained by considerations of primordial nucleosynthesis, and also by the fact that by not respecting the $Z_{3}$ symmetry they induce divergences which destabilise the hierarchy and reintroduce the $\mu$--problem. We find that, even when the K\"ahler potential is `non-minimal' (i.e. when the hidden sector couples directly to the visible) the model is either ruled out cosmologically or suffers from a naturalness problem.

Authors: Abel, SA; Sarkar, S; White, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Nucl.Phys.B
• Volume: 454
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 663-684
• Publication date: 1995-06-19
• DOI: 10.1016/0550-3213(95)00483-9
• ISSN: 0550-3213
• Keywords: hep-ph; astro-ph