A supersymmetric, E8 inspired, unification model

Sammanfattning: The thesis treats the construction of a supersymmetric model, inspired by an E8 unfication scenario. Via the introduction of adjoint representation chiral superfields, in combination with the inclusion of a global generation symmetry, the Standard Model fermion candidates are protected from gaining any mass until electroweak symmetry breaking. In addition, an accidental global baryon symmetry prohibits proton decay in the model. After considering various symmetry breaking schemes, two choices were found where the initial symmetry broke down to the gauged symmetries of the Standard Model. The first symmetry breaking step was carried out by explicitly giving a Vacuum Expectation Value to one of the scalar fields, after which a low energy effective theory was constructed, based on the remaining symmetries. The model was then prepared for Renormalization Group Equation running (where hopefully the remaining Vacuum Expectation Values would be generated dynamically), by determining matching conditions.