Supersymmetry in anti-de Sitter space (Q1084689)

We consider the Wess-Zumino model in a background anti-de Sitter space- time in four dimensions (AdS)4. We show that the naive generators of the O(3,2) isometry group, obtained by the Noether method, must be improved by adding surface terms. The improved generators have a manifestly positive definite energy density, are conserved, and have vanishing expectation value in a supersymmetric vacuum. The naive generators enjoy none of these properties. Propagators for scalar and spinor fields in (AdS)4 are presented, and a simple derivation of the trace anomaly is given.