Search for supersymmetry with a light gravitino at the Fermilab Tevatron and CERN LEP colliders

Abstract

We analyze the prospects for discovering supersymmetry at the Fermilab Tevatron and CERN LEP colliders in the scenario that the lightest supersymmetric particle is a gravitino of mass < 1 keV. We consider in particular the case that the lightest neutralino has a nearly 100% branching fraction into gravitino + photon within the detector. This implies that supersymmetric events should contain both missing (transverse) energy and two energetic photons. Therefore one can search for supersymmetry simply through inclusive production of superpartners. We consider the exclusion and reach capabilities of the Tevatron in exploring the supersymmetric parameter space, and study the efficiencies which can be achieved in this search. We also consider the discovery reach and backgrounds at LEP with $\sqrt{s} =$ 160, 175, and 190 GeV.