Light Neutrino Masses Research Articles

On the orthogonal matrix in the Casas-Ibarra parametrization for the Yukawa interactions of Majorana neutrinos

The Casas-Ibarra (CI) parametrization of the Yukawa coupling matrix of Majorana neutrinos is generalized by considering the exact seesaw relation and including non-unitarity of the 3×3 Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) flavor mixing matrix. With the help of a full 6×6 Euler-like block description of the flavor structure for the seesaw mechanism, we find that the orthogonal matrix O in the CI parametrization can be expressed as Oij=Mj/miFij with mi and Mj being the masses of light and heavy Majorana neutrinos and Fij consisting of the PMNS and active-sterile flavor mixing parameters (for i,j=1,2,3). Assuming a specific pattern of O is therefore equivalent to imposing some special conditions on the seesaw parameter space.

Majorana phases beyond neutrinoless double beta decay

The νM SM is defined as the SM extended to include dimension-5 operators. In this model neutrino masses violate lepton number, and two parameters of the lepton mixing matrix, the Majorana phases, are yet to be constrained. One combination of these phases and the neutrino masses, often denoted by mee, is probed by neutrinoless double beta decays (0νββ). We explore what information may be obtained beyond 0νββ, and how it depends on the lightest neutrino mass. We point out that with current central values of the mixing parameters, ∆Le = 2 and ∆Le = ∆Lμ = 1 (or ∆Le = 2 and ∆Lμ = 2) processes cannot simultaneously vanish, providing a no-lose theorem, in principle, for excluding the νM SM, even in the case of normal mass ordering.

Generalized symmetry in dynamical gravity

We explore generalized symmetry in the context of nonlinear dynamical gravity. Our basic strategy is to transcribe known results from Yang-Mills theory directly to gravity via the tetrad formalism, which recasts general relativity as a gauge theory of the local Lorentz group. By analogy, we deduce that gravity exhibits a one-form symmetry implemented by an operator Uα labeled by a center element α of the Lorentz group and associated with a certain area measured in Planck units. The corresponding charged line operator Wρ is the holonomy in a spin representation ρ, which is the gravitational analog of a Wilson loop. The topological linking of Uα and Wρ has an elegant physical interpretation from classical gravitation: the former materializes an exotic chiral cosmic string defect whose quantized conical deficit angle is measured by the latter. We verify this claim explicitly in an AdS-Schwarzschild black hole background. Notably, our conclusions imply that the standard model exhibits a new symmetry of nature at scales below the lightest neutrino mass. More generally, the absence of global symmetries in quantum gravity suggests that the gravitational one-form symmetry is either gauged or explicitly broken. The latter mandates the existence of fermions. Finally, we comment on generalizations to magnetic higher-form or higher-group gravitational symmetries.

Asymmetric self-interacting dark matter with a canonical seesaw model

We study the possibility of generating dark matter (DM) and baryon asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) simultaneously in an asymmetric DM framework, which also alleviates the small-scale structure issues of cold DM. While the thermal relic of such self-interacting DM remains underabundant due to efficient annihilation into light mediators, a nonzero asymmetry in the dark sector can lead to the survival of the required DM in the Universe. The existence of a light mediator leads to the required self-interactions of DM at small scales while keeping DM properties similar to cold DM at large scales. It also ensures that the symmetric DM component annihilates away, leaving the asymmetric part in the spirit of cogenesis. The particle physics implementation is done in canonical seesaw models of light neutrino mass, connecting it to the origin of DM and BAU. In particular, we consider type-I and type-III seesaw origin of neutrino mass for simplicity and minimality of the field content. We show that the desired self-interactions and relic of DM together with BAU while satisfying relevant constraints lead to strict limits on DM mass O(GeV)≲MDM≲460 GeV. In spite of being a high-scale seesaw, the models remain verifiable in different experiments, including direct and indirect DM searches as well as colliders. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Calculable neutrino Dirac mass matrix and one-loop θ¯ in the minimal left-right symmetric model

We revisit the contribution to the strong CP parameter θ¯ from leptonic CP violation at one-loop level in the minimal left-right symmetric model in the case of generalized parity as the left-right symmetry. The Hermitian neutrino Dirac mass matrix MD can be calculated using the light and heavy neutrino masses and mixings. We propose a parametrization of the right-handed neutrino mixing matrix VR and construct the heavy neutrino mass that maintains the Hermiticity of MD. We further apply it to evaluate the one-loop θ¯, denoted as θ¯loop, as a function of the sterile neutrino masses for explicit examples of VR. By requiring the magnitude of θ¯loop≲10−10, we derive the upper limits on the sterile neutrino masses, which are within reach of direct searches at the Large Hadron Collider and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. Furthermore, our parametrization is pertinent for other phenomenological investigations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Minimal U(1) two-Higgs-doublet models for quark and lepton flavor

In the context of the 2HDM, and assuming that neutrinos acquire masses via the Weinberg operator, we perform a systematic analysis to determine the minimal quark and lepton flavor patterns, compatible with masses, mixing and CP violation data, realizable by Abelian symmetries. We determine four minimal models for quarks, where the number of independent parameters matches the number of observables. For the lepton sector, three minimal predictive models are identified. Namely, we find scenarios with a preference for the upper/lower octant of the θ23 atmospheric mixing angle, that exhibit lower bounds on the lightest neutrino masses currently probed by cosmology and testable at future neutrinoless double beta decay experiments, even for a normally ordered neutrino masses. We investigate the phenomenology of each model taking into account all relevant theoretical, electroweak precision observables, scalar sector constraints, as well as stringent quark flavor processes such as B¯→Xsγ, Bs→μ−μ+ and meson oscillations, and the charged lepton flavor-violating decays eα−→eβ−eγ+eδ− and eα→eβγ. We show that, in some cases, Abelian flavor symmetries provide a natural framework to suppress flavor-changing neutral couplings and lead to scenarios featuring heavy neutral/charged scalar masses below the TeV scale within the reach of current experiments. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Pati-Salam models with A4 modular symmetry

The flavor structure of quarks and leptons and quark-lepton unification are studied in the framework of Pati-Salam models with A4 modular symmetry. The three generations of the left-handed and right-handed fermions are assigned to be triplet or singlets of A4. The light neutrino masses are generated through the type-I seesaw mechanism. We perform a systematic classification of Pati-Salam models according to the transformations of matter fields under the A4 modular symmetry, and the general form of the fermion mass matrix is given. We present four phenomenologically viable benchmark models which provide excellent descriptions of masses and flavor mixing of quarks and leptons, including neutrinos. In such models we find that the normal ordered neutrino mass spectrum is preferred over the inverted case, with neutrinoless double beta decay predicted to be too small to be observed by the next generation of experiments.

Dynamical origin of neutrino masses and dark matter from a new confining sector

A dynamical mechanism, based on a confining non-Abelian dark symmetry, which generates Majorana masses for hyperchargeless fermions, is proposed. We apply it to the inverse seesaw scenario, which allows us to generate light neutrino masses from the interplay of TeV-scale pseudo-Dirac mass terms and a small explicit breaking of lepton number. A single generation of vectorlike dark quarks, transforming under a SU(3)D gauge symmetry, is coupled to a real singlet scalar, which serves as a portal between the dark quark condensate and three generations of heavy sterile neutrinos. Such a dark sector and the Standard Model (SM) are kept in thermal equilibrium with each other via sizable Yukawa couplings to the heavy neutrinos. In this framework, the lightest dark baryon, which has spin 3/2 and is stabilized at the renormalizable level by an accidental dark baryon number symmetry, can account for the observed relic density via thermal freeze-out from annihilations into the lightest dark mesons. These mesons, in turn, decay to heavy neutrinos, which produce SM final states upon decay. This model may be probed by next generation neutrino telescopes via neutrino lines produced from dark matter annihilations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Neutrino phenomenology in the modular S3 seesaw model

We have studied neutrino phenomenology in the supersymmetric type-I seesaw model endowed with the Γ2≃S3 modular symmetry. We have identified different realizations of the S3 modular symmetry, referred to as models A, B, C, and D. The four models are compatible with neutrino mass being inverted ordering (IO). Moreover, models A, B, and D can also accommodate normal ordering (NO) neutrino masses. We identify parameter space for each model compatible with neutrino oscillation at the 2−σ level. We then proceed to study the neutrino phenomenology of each model. We find that the lightest neutrino mass can be as light as 0.64 meV in the case of NO in model A and 50 meV in the case of IO in model D. The smallest effective electron neutrino mass attainable in our analysis is 8.8 meV in the case of NO (model A) and 50 meV for IO (model D). Finally, we note that the effective Majorana mass can be as small as 0.33 meV in the case of NO (model A) and 22 meV for IO (model D). Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Prospects for heavy neutral lepton searches at short and medium baseline reactor experiments

Heavy neutrinos with masses in the MeV range can in principle simultaneously explain the light neutrino masses and the origin of baryonic matter in the universe. The strongest constraints on their properties come from their potential impact on the formation of light elements in the early universe. Since these constraints rely on assumptions about the cosmic history, independent checks in the laboratory are highly desirable. In this paper, we discuss the opportunity to search for heavy neutrinos within the MeV mass range in short and medium baseline reactor neutrino experiments, using the SoLid, JUNO and TAO experiments as examples. These experiments can give the currently strongest upper bound on the mixing between the light electron neutrinos and the heavy neutrino in the 2–9 MeV mass range.

Vector dark matter with Higgs portal in type II seesaw framework

We study the phenomenology of a vector dark matter (VDM) in a U(1)X gauged extension of the Standard Model (SM), which is set in a type II seesaw framework. When this U(1)X symmetry is spontaneously broken by the vacuum expectation value (VEV) of a newly introduced complex scalar singlet, the gauge boson Z′ becomes massive. The stability of the dark matter (DM) is ensured by the presence of an exact charge conjugation symmetry resulting from the structure of the Lagrangian. On the other hand, the SU(2)L triplet scalar facilitates light neutrino masses via the type II seesaw mechanism. We have studied the phenomenology of the usual WIMP DM, considering all possible theoretical and experimental constraints that are applicable. Due to the presence of a triplet scalar, the present framework can also accommodate the observed 2σ deviation in h→Zγ decay rate, recently measured at the LHC. The possibility of nonthermal production of DM from the decay of the singlet scalar has also been briefly discussed. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Singlet-doublet fermion Dark Matter with Dirac neutrino mass, (g − 2)μ and ∆Neff

We study the possibility of generating light Dirac neutrino mass via scotogenic mechanism where singlet-doublet fermion Dark Matter (DM) plays non-trivial role in generating one-loop neutrino mass, anomalous magnetic moment of muon: (g − 2)μ as well as additional relativistic degrees of freedom ∆Neff within reach of cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. We show that the Dirac nature of neutrinos can bring interesting correlations within the parameter space satisfying the (g − 2)μ, DM relic density and the effective relativistic degrees of freedom ∆Neff. While we stick to thermal singlet-doublet DM with promising detection prospects, both thermal and non-thermal origin of ∆Neff have been explored. In addition to detection prospects of the model at DM, (g − 2)μ and other particle physics experiments, it remains verifiable at future CMB experiments like CMB-S4 and SPT-3G.

Prediction of the non-SUSY AdS conjecture on the lightest neutrino mass revisited

We study the constraint of the nonsupersymmetric (non-SUSY) anti–de Sitter (AdS) conjecture on the three-dimensional vacua obtained from the compactification of the Standard Model coupled to Einstein gravity on a circle where the three-dimensional components of the four-dimensional metric are general functions of both noncompact and compact coordinates. We find from studying the wave function profile of the three-dimensional metric in the compactified dimension that the radius of the compactified dimension must be quantized. Consequently, the three-dimensional vacua are constrained by not only the non-SUSY AdS conjecture but also the quantization rule of the circle radius, leading to both upper and lower bounds for the mass of the lightest neutrino as 2≤mν/Λ4<3, where Λ4≃5.06×10−84 GeV2 is the observed cosmological constant. This means that the lightest neutrino should have a mass around 10−32 eV or it would be approximately massless. With this prediction, we reconstruct the light neutrino mass matrix that is fixed by the neutrino oscillation data and in terms of three new mixing angles and six new phases for both the normal ordering and inverted ordering. In the situation where the light neutrino mass matrix is Hermitian, we calculate its numerical value in the 3σ range. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Three-loop inverse scotogenic seesaw models

We propose a class of models providing an explanation of the origin of light neutrino masses, the baryon asymmetry of the Universe via leptogenesis and offering viable dark matter candidates. In these models the Majorana masses of the active neutrino are generated by the inverse seesaw mechanism with the lepton number violating right-handed Majorana neutrino masses μ arising at three loops. The latter is ensured by the preserved discrete symmetries, which also guarantee the stability of the dark matter candidate. We focus on one of these models and perform a detailed analysis of the phenomenology of its leptonic sector. The model can successfully accommodate baryogenesis through leptogenesis in both weak and strong washout regimes. The lightest heavy fermion turns out to be a viable dark matter candidate, provided that the entries of the Majorana submatrix μ are in the keV to MeV range. The solutions are consistent with the experimental constraints, accommodating both mass orderings for active neutrinos, in particular charged-lepton flavor violating decays μ → eγ, μ → eee, and the electron-muon conversion processes get sizable rates within future sensitivity reach.

Minimal seesaw and leptogenesis with the smallest modular finite group

We propose a model for leptons based on the smallest modular finite group Γ2 ≅ S3 that, for the first time, accounts for both the hints of large low-energy CP-violation in the lepton sector and the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe, generated by only two heavy right-handed neutrinos. These same states are also employed in a Minimal seesaw mechanism to generate light neutrino masses. Besides the heavy neutrinos, our particle content is the same as the Standard Model (SM), with the addition of one single modulus τ, whose vacuum expectation value is responsible for both the modular and CP-symmetry breakings. We show that this minimalistic SM extension is enough to get an excellent fit to low energy neutrino observables and to the required baryon asymmetry ηB. Predictions for the neutrino mass ordering, effective masses in neutrinoless double beta decay and tritium decay as well as for the Majorana phases are also provided.

Neutrino model with broken [formula omitted] -[formula omitted] symmetry and unflavored leptogenesis with dihedral flavor symmetry

We propose a new neutrino flavor model based on a D4×U(1) flavor symmetry providing predictions for neutrino masses and mixing along with a successful generation of the observed Baryon Asymmetry of the Universe (BAU). After the spontaneous breaking of the flavor symmetry, the type I seesaw mechanism leads to a light neutrino mass matrix with broken μ−τ symmetry. By performing a numerical analysis, we find that the model favors a normal mass hierarchy with the lightest neutrino mass lies in the range m1∈[2.516,21.351] meV. The phenomenological implications of the neutrino sector are explored in detail and the results are discussed. Moreover, the generation of BAU is addressed via the leptogenesis mechanism from the decay of three right-handed neutrinos Ni. Through analytical and numerical analysis of the baryon asymmetry parameter YB, a successful unflavored leptogenesis takes place within the allowed parameter space obtained from neutrino phenomenology. We also examine interesting correlations between YB and low energy observables and provide a comprehensive discussion of the results.

Predictive Dirac neutrino spectrum with strong CP solution in SU(5)L × SU(5)R unification

We develop a grand unified theory of matter and forces based on the gauge symmetry SU(5)L × SU(5)R with parity interchanging the two factor groups. Our main motivation for such a construction is to realize a minimal GUT embedding of left-right symmetric models that provide a parity solution to the strong CP problem without the axion. We show how the gauge couplings unify with an intermediate gauge symmetry SU(3)cL × SU(2)2L × U(1)L × SU(5)R, and establish its consistency with proton decay constraints. The model correctly reproduces the observed fermion masses and mixings and leads to naturally light Dirac neutrinos with their Yukawa couplings suppressed by a factor MI/MG, the ratio of the intermediate scale to the GUT scale. We call this mechanism type II-Dirac seesaw. Furthermore, the model predicts δCP = ±(130.4±1.2)° and \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${m}_{{\ u }_{1}}$$\\end{document} = (4.8 – 8.4) meV for the Dirac CP phase and the lightest neutrino mass. We demonstrate how the model solves the strong CP problem via parity symmetry.

A 3HDM with Z[formula omitted] Z[formula omitted] model for nearly co-bimaximal mixing

We suggest a combination of Z4⋊Z4 symmetry with the B−L gauge model in the framework of three-Higgs-doublet model (3HDM). The co-bimaximal mixing pattern is broken by the charged lepton contribution which can accommodate the global analysis of neutrino oscillation data. The tiny of the light neutrino masses and neutrino mass hierarchy are produced by the type-I seesaw mechanism. The charged-lepton mass hierarchy is naturally achieved and the constraints on the efictive neutrino masses are in good agreement with the recent experimental bounds.

\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${M}_{{W}_{R}}$$\\end{document} dependence of leptogenesis in minimal Left-Right Symmetric Model with different strengths of Type-II seesaw mass

Left Right Symmetric Model (LRSM) being an extension of the Standard model of particle physics incorporates within itself Type-I and Type-II seesaw mass terms naturally. Both the mass terms can have significant amount of contribution to the resulting light neutrino mass within the model and hence on the different phenomenology associated within. In this paper, we have thoroughly analyzed and discussed the implications of specifying different weightages to both the mass terms and also the study has been carried out for different values of \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${M}_{{W}_{R}}$$\\end{document} which is mass of the right-handed gauge boson. This paper also gives a deeper insight into the new physics contributions of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay (0νββ) and their variations with the net baryon asymmetry arising out of the model. Therefore, the main objective of the present paper rests on investigating the implications of imposing different weightage to the type-I and type-II seesaw terms and different values of \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${M}_{{W}_{R}}$$\\end{document} on the new physics contributions of 0νββ and net baryon asymmetry arising out as a result of resonant leptogenesis. LRSM in this work has been realized using modular group of level 3, Γ(3) which is isomorphic to non-abelian discrete symmetry group A4, the advantage being the non-requirement of flavons within the model and hence maintaining the minimality of the model.

Z′ induced forward dominant processes in μTRISTAN experiment

General U(1) extension of the Standard Model (SM) is a well motivated beyond the Standard Model (BSM) scenario where three generations of right handed neutrinos (RHNs) are introduced to cancel gauge and mixed gauge-gravity anomalies. After the U(1)X is broken, RHNs participate in the seesaw mechanism to generate light neutrino masses satisfying neutrino oscillation data. In addition to that, a neutral gauge boson Z′ is evolved which interacts with the left and right handed fermions differently manifesting chiral nature of the model which could be probed in future collider experiments. As a result, if we consider μ+e− and μ+μ+ collisions in μTRISTAN experiment Z′ mediated 2→2 scattering will appear in t− and u-channels depending on the initial and final states being accompanied by the photon and Z mediated interactions. This will result well motivated resulting forward dominant scenarios giving rise to sizable left-right asymmetry. Estimating constraints on general U(1) coupling from LEP-II and LHC for different U(1)X charges, we calculate differential and integrated scattering cross section and left-right asymmetry for μ+e−→μ+e− and μ+μ+→μ+μ+ processes which could be probed at μTRISTAN experiment further enlightening the interaction between Z′ and charged leptons and the U(1)X breaking scale.