We propose a new solution to the supersymmetric flavor problem without flavor-blind mediation. Our proposal is to enforce a continuous or a suitably large discrete $R$-symmetry on weak scale supersymmetry, so that Majorana gaugino masses, trilinear $A$ terms, and the $\mu$ term are forbidden. We find that replacing the minimal supersymmetric standard model with an $R$-symmetric supersymmetric model allows order one flavor-violating soft masses, even for squarks of order a few hundred GeV. The minimal $R$-symmetric supersymmetric model contains Dirac gaugino masses and $R$-symmetric Higgsino masses with no left-right mixing in the squark or slepton sector. Dirac gaugino masses of order a few TeV with vanishing $A$ terms solve most flavor problems, while the $R$-symmetric Higgs sector becomes important at large $\tan \beta$. ${ϵ}_K$ can be accommodated if $CP$ is preserved in the SUSY breaking sector, or if there is a moderate flavor degeneracy, which can arise naturally. ${ϵ}^{\prime }/ϵ$, as well as neutron and electron electric dipole moments, are easily within experimental bounds. The most striking phenomenological distinction of this model is the order one flavor violation in the squark and slepton sector, while the Dirac gaugino masses tend to be significantly heavier than the corresponding squark and slepton masses.

• Received 30 May 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.78.055010