Neutrino masses in effective rank-5 subgroups ofE6. I. Nonsupersymmetric case

Abstract

The neutral fermion sectors of E_6-inspired low energy models, in particular the Alternative Left-Right and Inert models, are considered in detail within the non-supersymmetric scenario. We show that in their simplest form, these models always predict, for each generation, the lightest neutrino to be an SU(2)_L singlet, as well as two extra neutrinos with masses of the order of the up-quark mass. In order to recover Standard Model phenomenology, additional assumptions in the form of discrete symmetries and/or new interactions are needed. These are classified as the Discrete Symmetry (DS), Higher Dimensional Operators (HDO), and Additional Neutral Fermion (ANF) methods. The DS method can solve the problem, but requires additional Higgs doublets that do not get vacuum expectation values. The HDO method predicts no sterile neutrino, and that the active neutrinos mix with a heavy isodoublet neutrino, thus slightly suppressing the couplings of active neutrinos, with interesting phenomenological implications. The ANF method also predicts this suppression, and also naturally includes one or more "sterile" neutrinos. This scenario allows the existence of sterile neutrino(s) in either a 3+1 or 2+2 structure at low energies, which are favored by the LSND result.