In
particle physics
Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) an ...
, a superpartner (also sparticle) is a class of hypothetical
elementary particle
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a subatomic particle that is not composed of other particles. Particles currently thought to be elementary include electrons, the fundamental fermions ( quarks, leptons, a ...
s predicted by
supersymmetry, which, among other applications, is one of the well-studied ways to extend the
standard model of
high-energy physics
Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) a ...
.
When considering extensions of the
Standard Model, the ''s-'' prefix from ''sparticle'' is used to form names of superpartners of the Standard Model
fermions (
sfermions
In supersymmetric extension to the Standard Model (SM) of physics, a sfermion is a hypothetical spin-0 superpartner particle (sparticle) of its associated fermion. Each particle has a superpartner with spin that differs by . Fermions in the SM ...
),
[Alexander I. Studenikin (ed.), ''Particle Physics in Laboratory, Space and Universe'', World Scientific, 2005, p. 327.] e.g. the
stop squark. The superpartners of Standard Model
bosons
In particle physics, a boson ( ) is a subatomic particle whose spin quantum number has an integer value (0,1,2 ...). Bosons form one of the two fundamental classes of subatomic particle, the other being fermions, which have odd half-integer ...
have an ''-ino'' (bosinos)
[ appended to their name, e.g. ]gluino In supersymmetry, a gluino (symbol ) is the hypothetical supersymmetric partner of a gluon.
In supersymmetric theories, gluinos are Majorana fermions and interact via the strong force as a color octet. Gluinos have a lepton number 0, baryon number ...
, the set of all gauge superpartners are called the gaugino
In supersymmetry theories of particle physics, a gaugino is the hypothetical fermionic supersymmetric field quantum (superpartner) of a gauge field, as predicted by gauge theory combined with supersymmetry. All gauginos have spin 1/2, except for ...
s.
Theoretical predictions
According to the supersymmetry theory, each fermion should have a partner boson
In particle physics, a boson ( ) is a subatomic particle whose spin quantum number has an integer value (0,1,2 ...). Bosons form one of the two fundamental classes of subatomic particle, the other being fermions, which have odd half-integer spi ...
, 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, their masses would indicate the scale at which supersymmetry is broken.
Recreating superpartners
If the supersymmetry theory is correct, it should be possible to recreate these particles in high-energy particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams.
Large accelerators are used for fundamental research in particle ...
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.
See also
*Chargino
In 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 (with spin 1/2) predicted by supersymmetry. They are linear combinations of t ...
*Gluino In supersymmetry, a gluino (symbol ) is the hypothetical supersymmetric partner of a gluon.
In supersymmetric theories, gluinos are Majorana fermions and interact via the strong force as a color octet. Gluinos have a lepton number 0, baryon number ...
– as a superpartner of the Gluon
*Gravitino
In supergravity theories combining general relativity and supersymmetry, the gravitino () is the gauge fermion supersymmetric partner of the hypothesized graviton. It has been suggested as a candidate for dark matter.
If it exists, it is a f ...
– as a superpartner of the hypothetical graviton
*Higgsino
In particle physics, for models with N=1 supersymmetry a higgsino, symbol , is the superpartner of the Higgs field. A higgsino is a Dirac fermionic field with spin and it refers to a weak isodoublet with hypercharge half under the Standard Mo ...
– as a superpartner of the Higgs Field
*Neutralino
In supersymmetry, the neutralino is a hypothetical particle. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), a popular model of realization of supersymmetry at a low energy, there are four neutralinos that are fermions and are electrically ...
References
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Supersymmetric quantum field theory
Particle physics