A guide to flat direction analysis in anomalous U(1) models

We suggest a systematic procedure to study D- and F-flat directions in a large class of models with an anomalous U(1). This class of models is characterized by the existence of a vacuum that breaks all Abelian gauge symmetries connecting the observable sector to the hidden sector. We show that, under some conditions, there is no other stable vacuum that breaks these symmetries. As a consequence, the model yields definite (order of magnitude) predictions for low-energy mass hierarchies. Then we study generic flat directions and identify the ones that may lead to undesirable vacua. We give necessary conditions for those to be Lifted, and show that supersymmetry breaking only slightly affects the conclusions from the flat direction analysis. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.