Phases of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories in four dimensions

Abstract

We exhibit $N=1$ supersymmetric field theories in confining, Coulomb and Higgs phases. The superpotential and the gauge kinetic terms are holomorphic and can be determined exactly in the various phases. The Coulomb phase generically has points with massless monopoles. When they condense, the theory undergoes a phase transition to a confining phase. When there are points in the Coulomb phase with massless electric charges, their condensation leads to a transition to a Higgs phase. When the Higgs and confinement phases are distinct, we expect to find massless interacting gluons at the transition point between them.