Spontaneous breaking of N = 2 global supersymmetry

Abstract We study spontaneous supersymmetry breaking in N = 2 globally supersymmetric theories describing a system of abelian vector multiplets. We find that the most general form of the action admits, in addition to the usual Fayet-Iliopoulos term, a magnetic Fayet-Iliopoulos term for the auxiliary components of dual vector multiplets. In a generic case, N = 2 supersymmetry is broken down spontaneously to N = 1. In some cases however, the scalar potential can drive the theory towards a N = 2 supersymmetric ground state where massless dyons condense in the vacuum.