Low energy consequences of five-dimensional SO(10)

Abstract

We consider five-dimensional (5D) supersymmetric SO(10) compactified on the orbifold S 1/( Z 2× Z 2′) such that the SO(10) gauge symmetry is broken on both fixed points (branes), and the residual gauge symmetry is SU(3) c × SU(2) L × U(1) Y × U(1) X . We explore one example in which the gauge symmetries on the two branes are, respectively, SU(5)× U(1) X and SU(4) c × SU(2) L × SU(2) R , and the MSSM gauge symmetry is recovered by the usual Higgs mechanism. We discuss how fermion masses and mixings can be understood in this framework by introducing a flavor U(1) F symmetry. Unification of the MSSM gauge couplings and proton stability are also considered. An order of magnitude increase in sensitivity could reveal proton decay.