Q-ball collisions in the MSSM: gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking

Abstract

Collisions of non-topological solitons, Q-balls, are considered in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model where supersymmetry has been broken at a low energy scale via a gauge mediated mechanism. Q-ball collisions are studied numerically on a two dimensional lattice for a range of Q-ball charges. Total cross-sections, as well as fusion and geometrical cross-sections are calculated. The total and geometrical cross-sections appear to converge with increasing charge. The fusion cross-section has been estimated to be larger than 60% of the geometrical cross-section for large balls.