ADJOINT MESSENGERS AND PERTURBATIVE UNIFICATION AT THE STRING SCALE -ART. NO. 095011

We consider states in the adjoint representation of the standard model gauge group as messengers for mediation of supersymmetry (SUSY) break ing. These new messengers can shift the gauge coupling unification to the string scale at O(5 x 10(17) GeV) if their masses are at O(10(14) GeV). The predicted SUSY mass spectrum at the electroweak scale is sig nificantly different from those in other gauge-mediated or supergravit y models, resulting in robust mass relations. The gravitino mass is pr edicted to be about 1-10 GeV. The heavy messenger sector could provide a superheavy dark matter candidate. [S0556-2821(98)04021-1]