Testing orbifold models of supersymmetric grand unification

Abstract

In a model of supersymmetric SU(5) grand unification with a spatial dimension described by the orbifold S¹/(Z₂ × Z'₂), proton decay is naturally suppressed at all orders. This is achieved by a suitable implementation of the discrete symmetries on the brane. But baryon number violating interactions are present in this model. We propose a few possible experimental tests of this model which exploit the effect of the baryon number violating couplings on low-energy observables such as neutron–antineutron oscillations, double nucleon decay into two kaons, hadronic decay widths of the Z boson and t_̅t production cross section in Run II of the Tevatron.