On the Supersymmetrization of Galileon Theories in Four Dimensions

Abstract

We use on-shell amplitude techniques to study the possible $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetrizations of Galileon theories in 3+1 dimensions, both in the limit of decoupling from DBI and without. Our results are that (1) the quartic Galileon has a supersymmetrization compatible with Galileon shift symmetry ($\phi \to \phi +c + b_\mu x^\mu$) for the scalar sector and an ordinary shift symmetry ($\psi \to \psi + \xi$) for the fermion sector, and it is unique at least at 6th order in fields, but possibly not beyond; (2) the enhanced "special Galileon" symmetry is incompatible with supersymmetry; (3) there exists a quintic Galileon with a complex scalar preserving Galileon shift symmetry; (4) one cannot supersymmetrize the cubic and quintic Galileon while preserving the Galileon shift symmetry for the complex scalar; and (5) for the quartic and quintic Galileon, we present evidence for a supersymmetrization in which the real Galileon scalar is partnered with an R-axion to form a complex scalar which only has an ordinary shift symmetry.