The neutralino sector in the U(1)-extended supersymmetric standard model

Motivated by grand unified theories and string theories we analyze the general structure of the neutralino sector in the USSM, an extension of the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model that involves a broken extra U(I) gauge symmetry. This supersymmetric U(1)-extended model includes an Abelian gauge super-field and a Higgs singlet superfield in addition to the standard gauge and Higgs superfields of the MSSM. The interactions between the MSSM fields and the new fields are in general weak and the mixing is small, so that the coupling of the two subsystems can be treated perturbatively. As a result, the mass spectrum and mixing matrix in the neutralino sector can be analyzed analytically and the structure of this 6-state system is under good theoretical control. We describe the decay modes of the new states and the impact of this extension on decays of the original MSSM neutralinos, including radiative transitions in cross-over zones. Production channels in cascade decays at the LHC and pair production at e(+)e(-) colliders are also discussed. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.