Hidden Sector Supergravity Breakdown

Abstract

Gravity mediated supersymmetry breakdown originated from a study of gaugino condensation in a hidden sector. We review this mechanism of supergravity breakdown from the original formulation in the early eighties to its natural implementation in superstring theory and M-theory. In the latter case hidden and observable sector become separated geometrically and supersymmetry is broken dynamically on a hidden wall.

Comments: 14 pages, Latex, Invited talk presented at the symposium "Thirty Years of Supersymmetry", University of Minnesota, October 13-15, 2000