Strong CP and SUZ₂

Solutions to the strong CP problem typically introduce new scales associated with the spontaneous breaking of symmetries. Absent any anthropic argument for small θ̄, these scales require stabilization against ultraviolet corrections. Supersymmetry offers a tempting stabilization mechanism, since it can solve the "big" electroweak hierarchy problem at the same time. One family of solutions to strong CP, including generalized parity models, heavy axion models, and heavy η^′ models, introduces ℤ₂ copies of (part of) the Standard Model and an associated scale of ℤ₂-breaking. We review why, without additional structure such as supersymmetry, the ℤ₂-breaking scale is unacceptably tuned. We then study "SUZ₂" models, supersymmetric theories with ℤ₂ copies of the MSSM. We find that the addition of SUSY typically destroys the ℤ₂ protection of θ̄=0, even at tree level, once SUSY and ℤ₂ are broken. In theories like supersymmetric completions of the twin Higgs, where ℤ₂ addresses the little hierarchy problem but not strong CP, two axions can be used to relax θ̄.