Axion models with high-scale supersymmetry breaking Original Research Article

Inspired by the possibility of high-scale supersymmetry breaking in the string landscape where the cosmological constant problem and the gauge hierarchy problem can be solved while the strong CP problem is still a challenge for naturalness, we propose a supersymmetric KSVZ axion model with an approximate universal intermediate-scale (image) supersymmetry breaking. To protect the global Peccei–Quinn (PQ) symmetry against quantum gravitational violation, we consider the gauged discrete image PQ symmetry. In our model the axion can be a cold dark matter candidate, and the intermediate supersymmetry breaking scale is directly related to the PQ symmetry breaking scale. Gauge coupling unification can be achieved at about image. The Higgs mass range is 130 to 160 GeV. We briefly discuss other axion models with high-scale supersymmetry breaking where the stabilization of the axion solution is similar.