The μ-Problem in Theories with Gauge-Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking

We point out that the μ-problem in theories in which supersymmetry breaking is communicated to the observable sector by gauge interactions is more severe than the one encountered in the conventional gravity-mediated scenarios. The difficulty is that once μ is generated by a one-loop diagram, then usually Bμ is also generated at the same loop order. This leads to the problematic relation Bμ ∼ μΛ, where Λ ∼ 10–100 TeV is the effective supersymmetry-breaking scale. We present a class of theories for which this problem is naturally solved. Here, without any fine tuning among parameters, μ is generated at one loop, while Bμ arises only at the two-loop level. This mechanism can naturally lead to an interpretation of the Higgs doublets as pseudo-Goldstone bosons of an approximate global symmetry. CERN-TH/96-61 March 1996 On leave of absence from INFN, Sezione di Padova, Padua, Italy.