Supersymmetric Contributions to the Decay of an Extra Z Boson

Abstract

We analyse in detail the supersymmetric contributions to the decay of an extra Z boson in effective rank 5 models, including the important effect of D-terms on sfermion masses. The inclusion of supersymmetric decay channels will reduce the Z' branching ratio to standard model particles resulting in lower Z' mass limits than those often quoted. In particular, the supersymmetric parameter space motivated by the recent Fermilab $ee\gamma\gamma$ event and other suggestive evidence results in a branching fraction B(Z' -> e^+ e^-)\simeq 2-4%. The expected cross sections and branching ratios could give a few events in the present data and we speculate on the connection to the three e^+e^- events observed at Fermilab with large dielectron invariant mass.