Higher Dimensional SUSY Quantum Mechanics

We briefly review some modern developments in higher spin field theory and their links with superstring theory. The analysis is based on various BRST constructions allowing to derive the Lagrangians for massive and massless higher spin fields on flat or constant curvature backgrounds of arbitrary dimensions.

This brief set of notes presents a modest introduction to the basic features entering the construction of supersymmetric quantum field theories in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime, building a bridge from similar lectures presented at a previous Workshop of this series, and reaching only at the doorstep of the full edifice of such theories.

The present thesis is divided into three parts. In Part I we address a problem within Higher-Spin Gauge Theory in dimension three: namely, that of computing the asymptotic symmetry algebra of supersymmetric models, describing an infinite spectrum of integer and half-integer higher-spin fields. In Part II we investigate higher-spin theories in dimension four or greater, where we classify the consistent cross interactions between free gauge fermions of arbitrary spin and a phot...

Some general properties of higher spin gauge theories are summarized with the emphasize on the nonlinear theories in any dimension.

We briefly cover the early history of supersymmetry, describe the relation of SUSY quantum field theories to superstring theories and explain why they are considered a likely tool to describe the phenomenology of high energy particle theory beyond the Standard Model.

We analyze general structure of N-fold supersymmetry which provides a systematic framework to construct weakly quasi-solvable quantum mechanical systems. Main ingredients of our analysis are dimensional analysis and introduction of an equivalent class of linear differential operators associated with N-fold supersymmetry for each N. To illustrate how they work, we construct the most general form of N-fold supersymmetric systems for N=2, 3, and 4.

These are expanded notes of lectures given at the summer school "Gif 2000" in Paris. They constitute the first part of an "Introduction to supersymmetry and supergravity" with the second part on supergravity by J.-P. Derendinger to appear soon. The present introduction is elementary and pragmatic. I discuss: spinors and the Poincar\'e group, the susy algebra and susy multiplets, superfields and susy lagrangians, susy gauge theories, spontaneously broken susy, the non-linear s...

We identify the quantum algebra of position and momentum operators for a quantum system bearing an irreducible representation of the super Poincare algebra in the N>1 and D=4 superspace both in the case where there are not central charges in the algebra and when they are present. This algebra is noncommutative for the position operators. We use the properties of superprojectors acting on the superfields to construct explicit position and momentum operators satisfying the alge...

We propose an extension of {\em supersymmetric quantum mechanics} which produces a family of isospectral hamiltonians. Our procedure slightly extends the idea of intertwining operators. Several examples of the construction are given. Further, we show how to build up vector coherent states of the Gazeau-Klauder type associated to our hamiltonians.

The multidimensional N=4 supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSY QM) is constructed using the superfield approach. As a result, the component form of the classical and quantum Lagrangian and Hamiltonian is obtained. In the considered SUSY QM both classical and quantum N=4 algebras include central charges, and this opens various possibilities for partial supersymmetry breaking. It is shown that quantum mechanical models with one quarter, one half and three quarters of unbroken(...