In supersymmetry theories of particle physics, a gaugino is the hypothetical fermionic supersymmetric field quanta (superpartner) of a gauge field, as predicted by gauge theory combined with supersymmetry.
In the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model the following gauginos exist:
Gauginos mix with higgsinos, the superpartners of the Higgs field's degrees of freedom, to form mass eigenstates called neutralinos, which are electrically neutral, and charginos, which are electrically charged.
In many supersymmetric models, the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), often a neutralino such as the photino, is stable. In that case it is a WIMP and a candidate for dark matter.