Conserved Currents in Supersymmetric Quantum Cosmology?

In this paper we investigate whether conserved currents can be sensibly defined in super-symmetric minisuperspaces. Our analysis deals with k = +1 FRW and Bianchi class-A models. Supermatter in the form of scalar supermultiplets is included in the former. Moreover, we restrict ourselves to the first-order differential equations derived from the Lorentz and supersymmetry constraints. The "square-root" structure of N = 1 super-gravity was our motivation to contemplate this interesting research. We show that conserved currents cannot be adequately established except for some very simple scenarios. Otherwise, equations of the type ∇a Ja = 0 may only be obtained from Wheeler–DeWittlike equations, which are derived from the supersymmetric algebra of constraints. Two appendices are included. In Appendix A we describe some interesting features of quantum FRW cosmologies with complex scalar fields when supersymmetry is present. In particular, we explain how the Hartle–Hawking state can now be satisfactorily identified. In Appendix B we initiate a discussion about the retrieval of classical properties from supersymmetric quantum cosmologies.