We find new realizations of Volkov-Akulov-Starobinsky supergravity, i.e. Starobinsky inflationary models in supergravity coupled to a nilpotent superfield describing Volkov-Akulov goldstino. Our constructions are based on the no-scale Kähler potential $K=-3\log(T+\bar{T})$ for the inflaton field, and can describe de Sitter vacuum after inflation where supersymmetry is broken by the goldstino auxiliary component. In fact, we show that a more general class of models with $K=-α\log(T+\bar{T})$ for $3\leqα\lesssim 6.37$ can accomodate Starobinsky-like inflation with the universal prediction $n_s\simeq 1-\frac{2}{N_e}$ and $r\simeq \frac{4α}{(α-2)^2N_e^2}$, while for $6.37\lesssimα\lesssim 7.23$ viable hilltop inflation is possible (with $n_s$ and $r$ close to the above expressions). We derive the full component action and the masses of sinflaton, gravitino, and inflatino that are generally around the inflationary Hubble scale. Finally, we show that one of our models can be dualized into higher-derivative supergravity with constrained chiral curvature superfield.
We show that the two-dimensional $N=(2,2)$ Volkov-Akulov action that describes the spontaneous breaking of supersymmetry is a $T\bar{T}$ deformation of a free fermionic theory. Our findings point toward a possible relation between nonlinear supersymmetry and $T \bar T$ flows.
We apply the background field technique, recently developed for a general class of nonlinear symmetries, at tree level, to the Volkov-Akulov theory with spontaneously broken N=1 supersymmetry. We find that the background field expansion in terms of the free fields to the lowest order reproduces the nonlinear supersymmetry transformation rules. The double soft limit of the background field is, in agreement with the new general identities, defined by the algebra of the nonlinear symmetries.
The characteristics of tree level scattering amplitudes in theories with nonlinear (super)symmetries were recently proposed by Kallosh to be encoded in a simple way directly from the action, based on a background field method. We check this conjecture to lowest non-trivial order in the Volkov-Akulov theory, where the local 6-point diagram cancels and the results up to 6 points indeed are in agreement with S-matrix computations.
We study three-dimensional non-linear models of vector and vector-spinor Goldstone fields associated with the spontaneous breaking of certain higher-spin counterparts of supersymmetry whose Lagrangians are of a Volkov-Akulov type. Goldstone fields in these models transform non-linearly under the spontaneously broken rigid symmetries. We find that the leading term in the action of the vector Goldstone model is the Abelian Chern-Simons action whose gauge symmetry is broken by a quartic term. As a result, the model has a propagating degree of freedom which, in a decoupling limit, is a quartic Gal…
We obtain a four-dimensional supergravity with spontaneously broken supersymmetry allowing for de Sitter vacua by coupling a superspace action of minimal N=1, D=4 supergravity to a locally supersymmetric generalization of the Volkov-Akulov goldstino action describing the dynamics of a space-filling non-BPS 3-brane in N=1, D=4 superspace. To the quadratic order in the goldstino field the obtained action coincides with earlier constructions of supergravities with nilpotent superfields, while matching the higher-order contributions will require a non-linear redefinition of fields. In the unitary …
Recent progress in understanding de Sitter spacetime in supergravity and string theory has led to the development of a four dimensional supergravity with spontaneously broken supersymmetry allowing for de Sitter vacua, also called de Sitter supergravity. One approach makes use of constrained (nilpotent) superfields, while an alternative one couples supergravity to a locally supersymmetric generalization of the Volkov-Akulov goldstino action. These two approaches have been shown to give rise to the same 4D action. A novel approach to de Sitter vacua in supergravity involves the generalisation o…
We show that different (brane and constrained superfield) descriptions for the Volkov-Akulov goldstino coupled to N=1, D=4 supergravity with matter produce similar wide classes of models with spontaneously broken local supersymmetry and discuss the relation between the different formulations. As with the formulations with irreducible constrained superfields, the geometric goldstino brane approach has the advantage of being manifestly off-shell supersymmetric without the need to introduce auxiliary fields. It provides an explicit solution of the nilpotent superfield constraints and avoids issue…
We study the embedding of inflation with nilpotent multiplets in supergravity, in particular the decoupling of the sgoldstino scalar field. Instead of being imposed by hand, the nilpotency constraint on the goldstino multiplet arises in the low energy-effective theory by integrating out heavy degrees of freedom. We present explicit supergravity models in which a large but finite sgoldstino mass arises from Yukawa or gauge interactions. In both cases the inflaton potential receives two types of corrections. One is from the backreaction of the sgoldstino, the other from the heavy fields generati…
