In the standard model the proton is protected from decay naturally by gauge symmetries, whereas in the ordinary minimal supersymmetric standard model an ad hoc discrete symmetry is imposed for the proton stability. We present a new supersymmetric model in which the proton decay is forbidden by an extra U(1) gauge symmetry. Particle contents are necessarily increased to be free from anomalies, incorporating right-handed neutrinos. Both Dirac and Majorana masses are generated for neutrinos, yielding nonvanishing but small masses. The superpotential consists only of trilinear couplings and the mass parameter $\mu$ of the minimal model is induced by spontaneous breaking of the U(1) symmetry.

• Received 23 July 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.5269