Neutrino Mass Spectrum Research Articles

Two Texture Zeros for Dirac Neutrinos in a Diagonal charged lepton basis

Abstract A systematic study of the neutrino mass matrix Mν with two texture zeros in a basis where the charged leptons are diagonal, and under the assumption that neutrinos are Dirac particles, is carried through in detail. Our study is done without any approximation, first analytically and then numerically. Current neutrino oscillation data are used in our analysis. Phenomenological implications of Mν on the lepton CP violation and neutrino mass spectrum are explored.Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. Article funded by SCOAP3 and published under licence by Chinese Physical Society and the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Science and the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and IOP Publishing Ltd.

Leptogenesis in SO(10) with minimal Yukawa sector

In prior studies, a very minimal Yukawa sector within the SO(10) Grand Unified Theory framework has been identified, comprising of Higgs fields belonging to a real 10H, a real 120H, and a 126¯H\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {\\overline{126}}_H $$\\end{document} dimensional representations. In this work, within this minimal framework, we have obtained fits to fermion masses and mixings while successfully reproducing the cosmological baryon asymmetry via leptogenesis. The right-handed neutrino (Ni) mass spectrum obtained from the fit is strongly hierarchical, suggesting that B − L asymmetry is dominantly produced from N2 dynamics while N1 is responsible for erasing the excess asymmetry. With this rather constrained Yukawa sector, fits are obtained both for normal and inverted ordered neutrino mass spectra, consistent with leptonic CP-violating phase δCP indicated by global fits of neutrino oscillation data, while also satisfying the current limits from neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. In particular, the leptonic CP-violating phase has a preference to be in the range δCP ≃ (230 – 300)°. We also show the consistency of the framework with gauge coupling unification and proton lifetime limits.

Minimal type-I Dirac seesaw and leptogenesis under A4 modular invariance

We present a Dirac mass model based on A4 modular symmetry within Type-I seesaw framework. This extension of Standard Model requires three right-handed neutrinos and three heavy Dirac fermions superfields, all singlet under SU(2)L symmetry. The scalar sector is extended by the inclusion of a SU(2)L singlet superfield, χ. Here, the modular symmetry plays a crucial role as the Yukawa couplings acquire modular forms, which are expressed in terms of Dedekind eta function η(τ). Therefore, the Yukawa couplings follow transformations akin to other matter fields, thereby obviating the necessity of additional flavon fields. The acquisition of vev by complex modulus τ leads to the breaking of A4 modular symmetry. We have obtained predictions on neutrino oscillation parameters, for example, the normal hierarchy for the neutrino mass spectrum. Furthermore, we find that heavy Dirac fermions, in our model, can decay to produce observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe through Dirac leptogenesis.

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.

Transition magnetic moment of Majorana neutrinos in the triplets next-to-minimal MSSM

The next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model with triplets is an attractive extension of the Standard Model. It combines the advantages of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model and the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model with triplets to give three tiny Majorana neutrinos masses via a type-I+II seesaw mechanism. With the on-shell renormalization scheme, we consider the neutrino masses up to one loop approximation. Applying the effective Lagrangian method, we study the transition magnetic moments of Majorana neutrinos and consider the normal hierarchy and inverse hierarchy neutrino mass spectra within the constraints of experimental data on neutrino oscillations. The solar neutrino transition magnetic moment is further deduced, and compared with the XENONnT experiment limit. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The CUPID neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment

Neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) is a key process to address some of the major outstanding issues in particle physics, such as the lepton number conservation and the Majorana nature of the neutrino. The next-generation of experiments aims at covering the Inverted-Ordering region of the neutrino mass spectrum, with sensitivities on the half-lives greater than 1027 years. Among the exploited techniques, low-temperature calorimetry has proved to be a very promising one, and will keep its leading role in the future thanks to the CUPID experiment. CUPID will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 100Mo. By deploying Li2MoO4 scintillating crystals enriched in 100Mo and cryogenic light detectors, CUPID will perform simultaneous readout of heat and light signals, allowing for particle identification, and thus a powerful rejection technique for α background. To meet the new sensitivity target, the CUORE readout system must be upgraded. The readout system for each channel will consist of a pre-amplifier, a Programmable Gain Amplifier (PGA), a low-pass filter (Bessel filter) and a Digital AcQuisition System (DAQ). Finally, there is a pulser to generate thermal stabilization energy in the crystals. The motivation and expected performance of the technical upgrades are described in the context of the goals of the CUPID experiment.

General approach to neutrino mass mechanisms with sterile neutrinos

We present a mathematical framework for constructing the most general neutrino mass matrices that yield the observed spectrum of light active neutrino masses in conjunction with arbitrarily many heavy sterile neutrinos, without the need to assume a hierarchy between Dirac and Majorana mass terms. The seesaw mechanism is a byproduct of the formalism, along with many other possibilities for generating tiny neutrino masses. We comment on phenomenological applications of this approach, in particular deriving a mechanism to address the long-standing (g−2)μ anomaly in the context of the left-right symmetric model. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Rescuing leptogenesis parameter space of inverse seesaw

In a pure inverse seesaw framework, achieving a substantial lepton asymmetry that can be converted into the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe is extremely challenging. The difficulty arises primarily due to two reasons, (i) partial cancellation of the lepton asymmetries associated with the components of a pseudo-Dirac pair, and (ii) strong wash out caused by the inverse decays. In this work we offer two possible resolutions to overcome the above mentioned challenges considering a (3,3) ISS framework. Our first proposal is based on the assumption of a non-standard cosmological era in the pre-BBN epoch, that triggers a faster expansion of the Universe, thereby reducing the washout by several orders of magnitude. The second proposition is an alternative of first which considers a quasi-degenerate mass spectrum for the singlet heavy neutrinos, resulting into a larger order of lepton asymmetry that survives the impact of strong washout to account for the observed BAU. The viable parameters space, as obtained can be tested at present and future Lepton Flavour Violation experiments e.g. MEG and MEG II.

Quantum corrections and the minimal Yukawa sector of SU(5)

It is well known that the SU(5) grand unified theory, with the standard model quarks and leptons unified in 5¯ and 10 and the electroweak Higgs doublet residing in five-dimensional representations, leads to the relation Yd=YeT between the Yukawa couplings of the down-type quarks and the charged leptons. We show that this degeneracy can be lifted in a phenomenologically viable way when quantum corrections to the tree-level matching conditions are taken into account in the presence of one or more copies of gauge singlet fermions. The one-loop threshold corrections arising from heavy leptoquark scalar and vector bosons, already present in the minimal model, and heavy singlet fermions can lead to realistic Yukawa couplings, provided their masses differ by at least 2 orders of magnitude. The latter can also lead to a realistic light neutrino mass spectrum through the type I seesaw mechanism if the color partner of the Higgs stays close to the Planck scale. Most importantly, our findings demonstrate the viability of the simplest Yukawa sector when quantum corrections are considered and sizable threshold effects are present. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Exploring freeze-out and freeze-in dark matter via effective Froggatt-Nielsen theory

Motivated by the dynamical reasons for the hierarchical structure of the Yukawa sector of the Standard Model (SM), we consider an extension of the SM with a complex scalar field, known as `flavon', based on the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. In an effective theory approach, the SM fermion masses and mixing patterns are generated in orders of the parameter related to the vacuum expectation value of the flavon field and the cut-off of the effective theory. By introducing right-handed neutrinos, we study the viability of the lightest right-handed neutrino as a dark matter candidate, where the same flavon field acts as a mediator between the dark and the SM sectors. We find that dark matter genesis is achieved both through freeze-out and freeze-in mechanisms encompassing the 𝒪(GeV) – 𝒪(TeV) mass range of the mediator and the dark matter particle. In addition to tree-level spin-dependent cross section, the model gives rise to tree- and loop-level contributions to spin-independent scattering cross section at the direct detection experiments such as XENON and LUX-ZEPLIN which can be probed in their future upgrades. By choosing suitable Froggatt-Nielsen charges for the fermions, we also generate the mass spectrum of the SM neutrinos via the Type-I seesaw mechanism. Flavor-changing neutral current processes, such as radiative lepton decay, meson mixing, and top-quark decay remain the most constraining channels and provide testability for this minimal setup that addresses several major shortcomings of the SM.

Neutrinoless double beta decay in a left-right symmetric model with a double seesaw mechanism

We discuss a left-right (L-R) symmetric model with the double seesaw mechanism at the TeV scale generating Majorana masses for the active left-handed (LH) flavour neutrinos $\nu_{\alpha L}$ and the heavy right-handed (RH) neutrinos $N_{\beta R}$, $\alpha,\beta = e,\mu,\tau$, which in turn mediate lepton number violating processes, including neutrinoless double beta decay. The Higgs sector is composed of two Higgs doublets $H_L$, $H_R$, and a bi-doublet $\Phi$. The fermion sector has the usual for the L-R symmetric models quarks and leptons, along with three $SU(2)$ singlet fermion $S_{\gamma L}$. The choice of bare Majorana mass term for these sterile fermions induces large Majorana masses for the heavy RH neutrinos leading to two sets of heavy Majorana particles $N_j$ and $S_k$, $j,k=1,2,3$, with masses $m_{N_j} \ll m_{S_k}$. Working with a specific version of the model in which the $\nu_{\alpha L} - N_{\beta R}$ and the $N_{\beta R} - S_{\gamma L}$ Dirac mass terms are diagonal, and assuming that $m_{N_j} \sim (1 - 1000)$ GeV and ${\rm max}(m_{S_k}) \sim (1 - 10)$ TeV, $m_{N_j} \ll m_{S_k}$, we study in detail the new ``non-standard'' contributions to the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay amplitude and half-life arising due to the exchange of virtual $N_j$ and $S_k$. We find that in both cases of NO and IO light neutrino mass spectra, these contributions are strongly enhanced and are dominant at relatively small values of the lightest neutrino mass $m_{1(3)} \sim (10^{-4} - 10^{-2})$ eV over the light Majorana neutrino exchange contribution. In large part of the parameter space, the predictions of the model for the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay generalised effective Majorana mass and half-life are within the sensitivity range of the planned next generation of neutrinoless double beta decay experiments LEGEND-200 (LEGEND-1000), nEXO, KamlAND-Zen-II, CUPID, NEXT-HD.

Universal Predictions of Modular Invariant Flavor Models near the Self-Dual Point.

We analyze a large set of modular invariant models of lepton masses and mixing angles, pointing out that many of them prefer to live close to the self-dual point τ=i. We show that in the vicinity of this point a universal behavior naturally emerges, independent from details of the theory, such as the finite modular group acting on the lepton multiplets, the weights of the matter multiplets and even the form of the kinetic terms, which are not required to be minimal nor flavor blind. The neutrino mass spectrum is normally ordered and universal relations describe the scaling of the physical observables in terms of the parameter |τ-i|.

The translational μ-τ reflection symmetry of Majorana neutrinos

The present neutrino oscillation data allow [Formula: see text] (or [Formula: see text]) for the neutrino mass spectrum and support [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as two good approximations for the PMNS lepton flavor mixing matrix [Formula: see text]. We show that these intriguing possibilities can be a very natural consequence of the translational[Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] reflection symmetry — the effective Majorana neutrino mass term keeps invariant under the transformations [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (for [Formula: see text] or 3), where [Formula: see text] is the charge conjugation of a constant spinor field [Formula: see text]. By extending such a working flavor symmetry to the canonical seesaw mechanism at a superhigh-energy scale, we calculate its soft breaking effects at the electroweak scale by using the one-loop renormalization-group equations.

Low-scale leptogenesis with flavour and CP symmetries

We consider a type-I seesaw framework endowed with a flavour symmetry, belonging to the series of non-abelian groups ∆(3 n2) and ∆(6 n2), and a CP symmetry. Breaking these symmetries in a non-trivial way results in the right-handed neutrinos being degenerate in mass up to possible (further symmetry-breaking) splittings κ and λ, while the neutrino Yukawa coupling matrix encodes the entire flavour structure in the neutrino sector. For a fixed combination of flavour and CP symmetry and residual groups, this matrix contains five real free parameters. Four of them are determined by the light neutrino mass spectrum and by accommodating experimental data on lepton mixing well, while the angle θR is related to right-handed neutrinos. We scrutinise for all four lepton mixing patterns, grouped into Case 1) through Case 3 b.1), the potential to generate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe through low-scale leptogenesis numerically and analytically. The main results are: a) the possible correlation of the baryon asymmetry and the Majorana phases, encoded in the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata mixing matrix, in certain instances; b) the possibility to generate the correct amount of baryon asymmetry for vanishing splittings κ and λ among the right-handed neutrinos as well as for large κ, depending on the case and the specific choice of group theory parameters; c) the chance to produce sufficient baryon asymmetry for large active-sterile mixing angles, enabling direct experimental tests at current and future facilities, if θR is close to a special value, potentially protected by an enhanced residual symmetry. We elucidate these results with representative examples of flavour and CP symmetries, which all lead to a good agreement with the measured values of the lepton mixing angles and, possibly, the current indication of the CP phase δ. We identify the CP-violating combinations relevant for low-scale leptogenesis, and show that the parametric dependence of the baryon asymmetry found in the numerical study can be understood well with their help.

Neutrino mass and mass ordering: no conclusive evidence for normal ordering

The extraction of the neutrino mass ordering is one of the major challenges in particle physics and cosmology, not only for its implications for a fundamental theory of mass generation in nature, but also for its decisive role in the scale of future neutrinoless double beta decay experimental searches.It has been recently claimed that current oscillation, beta decay and cosmological limits on the different observables describing the neutrino mass parameter space provide robust decisive Bayesian evidence in favor of the normal ordering of the neutrino mass spectrum [1].We further investigate these strong claims using a rich and wide phenomenology, with different sampling techniques of the neutrino parameter space.Contrary to the findings of Jimenez et al. [1], no decisive evidence for the normal mass ordering is found.Neutrino mass ordering analyses must rely on priors and parameterizations that are ordering-agnostic: robust results should be regarded as those in which the preference for the normal neutrino mass ordering is driven exclusively by the data, while we find a difference of up to a factor of 33 in the Bayes factors among the different priors and parameterizations exploited here.An ordering-agnostic prior would be represented by the case ofparameterizations sampling over the two mass splittings and a mass scale,or thosesampling over the individual neutrino masses via normal prior distributions only.In this regard, we show that the current significance in favor of the normal mass ordering should be taken as 2.7σ (i.e. moderate evidence), mostly driven byneutrino oscillation data.Let us stress that, while current data favor NO only mildly, we do not exclude the possibility that this may change in the future.Eventually, upcoming oscillation and cosmological data may (or may not) lead to a more significant exclusion of IO.

Model marginalized constraints on neutrino properties from cosmology

We present robust, model-marginalized limits on both the total neutrino mass ($\sum m_\nu$) and abundance ($N_{\rm eff}$) to minimize the role of parameterizations, priors and models when extracting neutrino properties from cosmology. The cosmological observations we consider are CMB temperature fluctuation and polarization measurements, Supernovae Ia luminosity distances, BAO observations and determinations of the growth rate parameter from the Data Release 16 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV. The degenerate neutrino mass spectrum (which implies $\sum m_\nu>0$) is weakly (moderately) preferred over the normal and inverted hierarchy possibilities, which imply the priors $\sum m_\nu>0.06$ and $\sum m_\nu>0.1$ eV respectively. Concerning the underlying cosmological model, the $\Lambda$CDM minimal scenario is almost always strongly preferred over the possible extensions explored here. The most constraining $95\%$ CL bound on the total neutrino mass in the $\Lambda$CDM+$\sum m_\nu$ picture is $\sum m_\nu< 0.087$ eV. The parameter $N_{\rm eff}$ is restricted to $3.08\pm 0.17$ ($68\%$ CL) in the $\Lambda$CDM+$N_{\rm eff}$ model. These limits barely change when considering the $\Lambda$CDM+$\sum m_\nu$+$N_{\rm eff}$ scenario. Given the robustness and the strong constraining power of the cosmological measurements employed here, the model-marginalized posteriors obtained considering a large spectra of non-minimal cosmologies are very close to the previous bounds, obtained within the $\Lambda$CDM framework in the degenerate neutrino mass spectrum. Future cosmological measurements may improve the current Bayesian evidence favouring the degenerate neutrino mass spectra, challenging therefore the consistency between cosmological neutrino mass bounds and oscillation neutrino measurements, and potentially suggesting a more complicated cosmological model and/or neutrino sector.

Dark matter and neutrinos in Left-Right Mirror Model with Z2 symmetry

We discussed the feasibility of including dark matter in the Left-Right Mirror Model with an additional discrete Z2 symmetry. The Z2 symmetry helps to prevent any decay of the possible dark matter candidate, that is, guarantees the stability of the dark matter. The dark matter candidate is proposed as the lightest mirror neutrino. This Z2 discrete symmetry not only guarantees the stability of the dark matter but also controls the free parameters of the model such that they are significantly reduced. Then, mass spectrum of neutrinos is also discussed in two possible scenarios obtained by assigning charge under Z2 symmetry. For one of the scenarios we obtain the relic density for the dark matter candidate and the spin independent scattering cross section between dark matter and proton (neutron).

Neutrino tomography of the Earth with ORCA detector

Using PREM as a reference model for the Earth density distribution we investigate the sensitivity of ORCA detector to deviations of the Earth (i) outer core (OC) density, (ii) inner core (IC) density, (iii) total core density, and (iv) mantle density, from their respective PREM densities. The analysis is performed by studying the effects of the Earth matter on the oscillations of atmospheric nu _{mu }, nu _e, {bar{nu }}_mu and {bar{nu }}_e. We present results which illustrate the dependence of the ORCA sensitivity to the OC, IC, core and mantle densities on the type of systematic uncertainties used in the analysis, on the value of the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle theta _{23}, on whether the Earth mass constraint is implemented or not, and on the way it is implemented, and on the type – with normal ordering (NO) or inverted ordering (IO) – of the light neutrino mass spectrum. We show, in particular, that in the “most favorable” NO case of implemented Earth mass constraint, “minimal” systematic errors and sin ^2theta _{23}=0.58, ORCA can determine, e.g., the OC (mantle) density at 3sigma C.L. after 10 years of operation with an uncertainty of (− 18%)/+ 15% (of (− 6%)/+ 8%). In the “most disfavorable” NO case of “conservative” systematic errors and sin ^2theta _{23}=0.42, the uncertainty on OC (mantle) density reads (− 43%)/+ 39% ((− 17%/+ 20%), while for for sin ^2theta _{23} = 0.50 and 0.58 it is noticeably smaller: (− 37)%/+ 30% and (− 30%)/+ 24% ((− 13%)/+ 16% and (− 11%/+ 14%)). We find also that the sensitivity of ORCA to the OC, core and mantle densities is significantly worse for IO neutrino mass spectrum.

Neutrino Mass Spectrum: Present Indication and Future Prospect

The fact that neutrinos are massive has been the most crucial evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles. To date, we still do not know how neutrinos get mass and why their mass is much smaller than that of their charged fermion cousins. The precise determination of the neutrino mass spectrum has become one of the central tasks of neutrino physics, providing critical input for understanding the nature of neutrino mass and extending our model. The present landscape of the neutrino mass spectrum is reviewed and explored in this article using data from the neutrino oscillation, cosmology, and beta decay. In addition, we discuss the possibility of relevant programs elucidating the neutrino mass spectrum in the coming decades.

Low-scale resonant leptogenesis in SU(5) GUT with T13 family symmetry

We investigate low-scale resonant leptogenesis in an $SU(5) \times \mathcal{T}_{13}$ model where a single high energy phase in the complex Tribimaximal seesaw mixing produces the yet-to-be-observed low energy Dirac and Majorana ${CP}$ phases. A fourth right-handed neutrino, required to generate viable light neutrino masses within this scenario, also turns out to be necessary for successful resonant leptogenesis where $CP$ asymmetry is produced by the same high energy phase. We derive a lower bound on the right-handed neutrino mass spectrum in the $\mathrm{GeV}$ range, where part of the parameter space, although in tension with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis constrains, can be probed in planned high intensity experiments like DUNE. We also find the existence of a curious upper bound ($\text{TeV}$-scale) on the right-handed neutrino mass spectrum in majority of the parameter space due to significant washout of the resonant asymmetry by lighter right-handed neutrinos. While in most of the parameter space of our model classical Boltzmann equations are sufficient, when right-handed neutrino masses are below the electroweak sphalerons freeze-out temperature we resort to the more general density matrix formalism to take into account decays and oscillations of the right-handed neutrinos as well as their helicities which are relevant when they are relativistic.