First-order formalism for β functions in bosonic sigma models from supersymmetry breaking

We consider the renormalization group flow equation for the two-dimensional sigma models with the Kähler target space. The first-order formulation allows us to treat perturbations in these models as current-current deformations. We demonstrate, however, that the conventional first-order formalism misses certain anomalies in the measure, and should be amended. We reconcile beta functions obtained within the conformal perturbation theory for the current-current deformations with traditional "geometric"results obtained in the background field methods, in this way resolving the peculiarities pointed out in O. Gamayun et al. [Peculiarities of beta functions in sigma models, J. High Energy Phys. 10 (2023) 097JHEPFG1029-847910.1007/JHEP10(2023)097]. The result is achieved by the supersymmetric completion of the first-order sigma model.