Top Quark Mass Prediction in Superstring Derived Standard--like Models
A remarkable achievement of the realistic superstring standard--like models is the successful prediction of the top quark mass, assuming the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model spectrum below the string scale. Recently it was shown that string scale unification requires the existence of additional matter, in vector--like representations, at intermediate energy scales and that certain string models contain the needed representations in their massless spectrum. I obtain the top, bottom and tau lepton Yukawa couplings in these models, by calculating tree level string amplitudes, in terms of the unified gauge coupling and certain vacuum expectation values that are required for the consistency of the string models. Using two--loop renormalization group equations for the gauge and Yukawa couplings, I study the effect of the intermediate matter thresholds on the top quark mass prediction. Agreement with the experimental values of $\alpha_{\rm strong}(M_Z)$, $\sin^2\theta_W(M_Z)$ and $\alpha^{-1}_{\rm em}(M_Z)$ is imposed. It is found that the physical top quark mass prediction is increased to the range $192-200$ GeV and that the ratio $\lambda_b(M_Z)/\lambda_\tau(M_Z)$ is in agreement with experiment.