R-parity violating supersymmetry

TL;DR

The article surveys R-parity violation (Rp) in supersymmetric theories, detailing its theoretical origins, the full spectrum of Rp-violating couplings, and the resulting phenomenology in particle physics and cosmology. It systematically classifies Rp-breaking patterns (bilinear, trilinear, spontaneous) and analyzes their implications for neutrino masses, LSP stability, and baryogenesis, while emphasizing the crucial role of basis choices and flavor symmetries. The work also explores renormalization-group evolution, grand-unified embeddings, and the interplay with cosmological constraints, including proton decay, gravitino relics, and the baryon asymmetry. Overall, Rp-violation offers a rich framework to explain neutrino masses and collider signatures, yet remains tightly constrained by precision flavor, CP, and cosmological data, motivating restricted, predictive Rp scenarios (e.g., bilinear Rp breaking) and careful model-building within GUT and flavor-symmetry contexts.

Abstract

Theoretical and phenomenological implications of R-parity violation in supersymmetric theories are discussed in the context of particle physics and cosmology. Fundamental aspects include the relation with continuous and discrete symmetries and the various allowed patterns of R-parity breaking. Recent developments on the generation of neutrino masses and mixings within different scenarios of R-parity violation are discussed. The possible contribution of R-parity-violating Yukawa couplings in processes involving virtual supersymmetric particles and the resulting constraints are reviewed. Finally, direct production of supersymmetric particles and their decays in the presence of R-parity-violating couplings is discussed together with a survey of existing constraints from collider experiments.

Figures (12)

• Figure 1: Basic tree diagrams associated with the trilinear $\not \space R_p$ superpotential interactions involving the Yukawa couplings $\lambda$ or $\lambda'$ ($\not \space L$), or $\lambda"$ ($\not \space B$). $q$ ($\tilde{q}$) and $l$ ($\tilde{l}$) denote (s)quarks and (s)leptons. The arrows on the (s)quark and (s)lepton lines indicate the flow of the baryon (resp. lepton) number.
• Figure 2: One-loop contributions to neutrino masses and mixings induced by the trilinear $\not \space R_p$ couplings $\lambda_{ijk}$ (a) and $\lambda'_{ijk}$ (b). The cross on the sfermion line indicates the insertion of a left-right mixing mass term. The arrows on external legs follow the flow of the lepton number.
• Figure 3: Schematic description of the one-loop diagrams contributing to neutrino masses and mixings, divided into three classes as described in the text. $\not \space R_p$ mass insertions on internal and/or external lines are not shown. The arrows on external legs follow the flow of the lepton number.
• Figure 4: Neutral loop with gauge couplings at the vertices and two $\not \space R_p$ mass insertions on the scalar line. The cross on the neutralino line indicates a Majorana mass insertion. The arrows on external legs follow the flow of the lepton number.
• Figure 5: Contributions to $G_{F}$ from (a) the standard model and (b) an $\not \space R_p$ operator $L_1 L_2 E^c_k$.