Simple gauge-mediated models with local minima

We describe a simple class of supersymmetric gauge theories that can act as supersymmetry-breaking sectors for gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. The models have a local supersymmetry-breaking minimum along a direction in field space where a singlet gets a large expectation value. The potential along this direction has a runaway behavior stabilized by supersymmetry breaking in the effective low-energy theory. The supersymmetric vacua are at infinite field values, and cosmological bounds on false vacuum decay are easily satisfied. The models have no dimensionful parameters, and all mass scales arise through strong coupling dynamics. Simple variants of the model are compatible with perturbative unification, can naturally have dynamical supersymmetry breaking at a scale as low as 10TeV, and can solve the R axion problem without appealing to Planck-scale effects. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.