Superpartner
Encyclopedia
In particle physics
, a superpartner (also sparticle) is a hypothetical elementary particle
. Supersymmetry
is one of the synergistic theories in current high-energy physics which predicts the existence of these "shadow" particles.
The word superpartner is a portmanteau of the words supersymmetry and partner (sparticle is a portmanteau of supersymmetry and particle).
theory, each fermion
should have a partner boson
, the fermion's superpartner and each boson should have a partner fermion. Exact unbroken supersymmetry would predict that a particle and its superpartners would have the same mass. No superpartners of the Standard Model
particles have yet been found. This may indicate that supersymmetry is incorrect, or it may also be the result of the fact that supersymmetry is not an exact, unbroken symmetry of nature. If superpartners are found, its mass would determine the scale at which supersymmetry is broken.
For particles that are real scalars (such as an axion
), there is a fermion superpartner as well as a second, real scalar field. For axions, these particles are often referred to as axinos and saxions.
In extended supersymmetry there may be more than one superparticle for a given particle. For instance, with two copies of supersymmetry in four dimensions, a photon would have two fermion superpartners and a scalar superpartner.
In zero dimensions (often known as matrix mechanics
), it is possible to have supersymmetry, but no superpartners. However, this is the only situation where supersymmetry does not imply the existence of superpartners.
s. Doing so will not be an easy task; these particles may have masses up to a thousand times greater than their corresponding "real" particles.
Until recently, colliders did not have the power to create these supermassive particles, but the newly built Large Hadron Collider
at CERN
in Switzerland
and France
will be able to achieve collisions in the 14 TeV (tera-electron-volt) range, which may be adequate to determine if these superpartner particles exist.
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
, a superpartner (also sparticle) is a hypothetical elementary particle
Elementary particle
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure; that is, it is not known to be made up of smaller particles. If an elementary particle truly has no substructure, then it is one of the basic building blocks of the universe from which...
. Supersymmetry
Supersymmetry
In particle physics, supersymmetry is a symmetry that relates elementary particles of one spin to other particles that differ by half a unit of spin and are known as superpartners...
is one of the synergistic theories in current high-energy physics which predicts the existence of these "shadow" particles.
The word superpartner is a portmanteau of the words supersymmetry and partner (sparticle is a portmanteau of supersymmetry and particle).
Theoretical predictions
According to the supersymmetrySupersymmetry
In particle physics, supersymmetry is a symmetry that relates elementary particles of one spin to other particles that differ by half a unit of spin and are known as superpartners...
theory, each fermion
Fermion
In particle physics, a fermion is any particle which obeys the Fermi–Dirac statistics . Fermions contrast with bosons which obey Bose–Einstein statistics....
should have a partner boson
Boson
In particle physics, bosons are subatomic particles that obey Bose–Einstein statistics. Several bosons can occupy the same quantum state. The word boson derives from the name of Satyendra Nath Bose....
, the fermion's superpartner and each boson should have a partner fermion. Exact unbroken supersymmetry would predict that a particle and its superpartners would have the same mass. No superpartners of the Standard Model
Standard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory concerning the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, which mediate the dynamics of the known subatomic particles. Developed throughout the mid to late 20th century, the current formulation was finalized in the mid 1970s upon...
particles have yet been found. This may indicate that supersymmetry is incorrect, or it may also be the result of the fact that supersymmetry is not an exact, unbroken symmetry of nature. If superpartners are found, its mass would determine the scale at which supersymmetry is broken.
For particles that are real scalars (such as an axion
Axion
The axion is a hypothetical elementary particle postulated by the Peccei-Quinn theory in 1977 to resolve the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics...
), there is a fermion superpartner as well as a second, real scalar field. For axions, these particles are often referred to as axinos and saxions.
In extended supersymmetry there may be more than one superparticle for a given particle. For instance, with two copies of supersymmetry in four dimensions, a photon would have two fermion superpartners and a scalar superpartner.
In zero dimensions (often known as matrix mechanics
Matrix mechanics
Matrix mechanics is a formulation of quantum mechanics created by Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, and Pascual Jordan in 1925.Matrix mechanics was the first conceptually autonomous and logically consistent formulation of quantum mechanics. It extended the Bohr Model by describing how the quantum jumps...
), it is possible to have supersymmetry, but no superpartners. However, this is the only situation where supersymmetry does not imply the existence of superpartners.
Recreating superpartners
If the supersymmetry theory is correct, it should be possible to recreate these particles in high-energy particle acceleratorParticle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
s. Doing so will not be an easy task; these particles may have masses up to a thousand times greater than their corresponding "real" particles.
Until recently, colliders did not have the power to create these supermassive particles, but the newly built Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
at CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
will be able to achieve collisions in the 14 TeV (tera-electron-volt) range, which may be adequate to determine if these superpartner particles exist.
See also
- CharginoCharginoIn particle physics, the chargino is a hypothetical particle which refers to the mass eigenstates of a charged superpartner, i.e. any new electrically charged fermion predicted by supersymmetry. They are linear combinations of the charged wino and charged higgsinos...
- GluinoGluinoA gluino is the hypothetical supersymmetric partner of a gluon. Gluinos are expected by supersymmetry theorists to be pair produced in particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider if they exist....
- GravitinoGravitinoThe gravitino is the supersymmetric partner of the graviton, as predicted by theories combining general relativity and supersymmetry; i.e. supergravity theories...
as a superpartner of the hypothetical gravitonGravitonIn physics, the graviton is a hypothetical elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitation in the framework of quantum field theory. If it exists, the graviton must be massless and must have a spin of 2... - NeutralinoNeutralinoIn particle physics, the neutralino is a hypothetical particle predicted by supersymmetry. There are four neutralinos that are fermions and are electrically neutral, the lightest of which is typically stable...
- SfermionSfermionIn particle physics, a sfermion is the spin-0 superpartner particle of its associated fermion. In supersymmetric extensions to the Standard Model each particle has a superpartner with spin that differs by . Fermions in the SM have spin- and therefore sfermions have spin 0.In general the name...