Superunification from eleven dimensions (Q6354608)

We show how \(N=8\) supersymmetry can break spontaneously to \(N=1\) at the Planck scale via a Kaluza-Klein compactfification of \(d=11\) supergravity on the squashed seven-sphere. Features unique to Kaluza-Klein supergravity are (i) the massless gravitino of the \(N=1\) phase comes from a massive \(N=8\) supermultiplet, (ii) the scalars developing nonzero VEVs also belong to massive \(N=8\) supermultiplets, (iii) parity remains unbroken when \(N=8\) breaks to \(N=1.\) Next we ask whether the resulting \(N=1\) theory can provide a realistic SU(3)\(\times SU(2)\times U(1)\) unification and speculate that it might if some of the gauge bosons and fermions are composite as in the EGMZ model. In contrast to their model, however, we avoid unwanted helicities and problems with their noncompact \(E_ 7\). Moreover, we suggest a scheme in which the electroweak SU(2)\(\times U(1)\) is a subgroup of the \(d=11\) general coordinate group but that the strong SU(3) is a subgroup of the \(d=11\) local Lorentz group and are not, therefore, to be combined into a GUT. The special properties of the seven-sphere also suggest a possible solution of the cosmological constant problem involving fermion condensates.