Neutrino Mass Pattern Research Articles

SN1987A and neutrino non-radiative decay

We investigate neutrino non-radiative two-body decay in vacuum, in relation to SN1987A. In a full 3ν decay framework, we perform a detailed likelihood analysis of the 24 neutrino events from SN1987A observed by Kamiokande-II, IMB, and Baksan. We consider both normal and inverted neutrino mass orderings, and the possibility of strongly hierarchical and quasi-degenerate neutrino mass patterns. The results of the likelihood analysis show that the sensitivity is too low to derive bounds in the case of normal mass ordering. On the contrary, in the case of inverted mass ordering we obtain the bound τ/m≥2.4×105 s/eV (1.2×105) s/eV at 68% (90%) CL on the lifetime-to-mass ratio of the mass eigenstates ν2 and ν1.

Common origin of θ13 and dark matter within the flavor symmetric scoto-seesaw framework

To understand the observed pattern of neutrino masses and mixing as well as to account for the dark matter we propose a hybrid scoto-seesaw model based on the A4 discrete flavor symmetry. In this setup, including at least two heavy right-handed neutrinos is essential to employ the discrete flavor symmetry that mimics once popular tribimaximal neutrino mixing at the leading order via type-I seesaw. The scotogenic contribution then acts as a critical deviation to reproduce the observed value of the reactor mixing angle θ13 (within the trimaximal mixing scheme) and to accommodate potential dark matter candidates, pointing towards a common origin of θ13 and dark matter. The model predicts the atmospheric angle to be in the upper octant, excludes some regions on the Dirac CP phase, and restricts the Majorana phases too. Further, normal and inverted mass hierarchies can be distinguished for specific values of the relative phases associated with the complex light neutrino mass matrix. Owing to the considered flavor symmetry, contributions coming from the scotogenic mechanism towards the lepton flavor violating decays such as μ → eγ, τ → eγ vanish, and a lower limit on the second right-handed neutrino mass can be obtained. Prediction for the effective mass parameter appearing in the neutrinoless double beta decay falls within the sensitivity of future experiments such as LEGEND-1k and nEXO.

Probing heavy triplet leptons of the type-III seesaw mechanism at future muon colliders

We study the search potential of heavy triplet leptons in a type-III seesaw mechanism at future high-energy and high-luminosity muon colliders. The impact of up-to-date neutrino oscillation results is taken into account on neutrino parameters and the consequent decay patterns of heavy leptons in a type-III seesaw. The three heavy leptons in the Casas-Ibarra parametrization with diagonal unity matrix are distinguishable in their decay modes. We consider the pair production of charged triplet leptons ${E}^{+}{E}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ through both ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ annihilation and vector boson fusion (VBF) processes. The leading-order framework of electroweak parton distribution functions is utilized to calculate the VBF cross sections. The charged triplet leptons can be probed for masses above $\ensuremath{\sim}1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$. The ${E}^{+}{E}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}ZZ{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ channel can be further utilized to fully reconstruct the three triplet leptons and distinguish neutrino mass patterns. The pair production of heavy neutrinos $N$ and the associated production ${E}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}N$ are only induced by VBF processes and lead to a lepton-number-violating (LNV) signature. We also study the search potential of LNV processes at future high-energy muon colliders with $\sqrt{s}=30\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$.

Effective Majorana Neutrino Mass for ΔL = 2 Neutrino Oscillations

It is well known that the observations of neutrinoless double-beta decay prove the Majorana nature of the neutrino. However, with specific values of Majorana phases, the effective Majorana neutrino mass to be estimated from the observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments is strongly suppressed if the neutrino mass pattern adheres to a normal ordering. In this case, double-beta decay might not be observed even though the neutrino is Majorana in nature. We show if neutrinos oscillate to antineutrinos in their propagation; then, the observation of this oscillation proves that neutrinos are Majorana and will provide a measurement of neutrino masses and Majorana phases.

Most constraining cosmological neutrino mass bounds

We present here up-to-date neutrino mass limits exploiting the most recent cosmological data sets. By making use of the cosmic microwave background temperature fluctuation and polarization measurements, supernovae Ia luminosity distances, baryon acoustic oscillation observations and determinations of the growth rate parameter, we are able to set the most constraining bound to date, $\ensuremath{\sum}{m}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}<0.09\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{eV}$ at 95% C.L. This very tight limit is obtained without the assumption of any prior on the value of the Hubble constant and highly compromises the viability of the inverted mass ordering as the underlying neutrino mass pattern in nature. The results obtained here further strengthen the case for very large multitracer spectroscopic surveys as unique laboratories for cosmological relics, such as neutrinos: that would be the case of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument survey and of the Euclid mission.

Neutrino mass and mixing in [formula omitted] extension with [formula omitted] symmetry

We propose a renormalizable U(1)B−L extension of the Standard model based on Σ(18) symmetry which accommodates the observed neutrino mass and mixing pattern. The smallness of the active neutrino masses and the normal neutrino mass ordering are induced by the type-I seesaw mechanism at the first order of perturbation theory. The effective neutrino mass governing the neutrinoless double beta decay is predicted to be 〈mee〉∈(2.40,3.60)meV,JCP∈(−0.034,−0.024) which are well consistent with the recent experimental data.

Neutrino masses and interactions from Super-Kamiokande

We discuss topics on neutrino masses and interactions, in the light of the Super- Kamiokande data. The experimental observations can be explained either by several patterns of neutrino masses, or byflavour-changingneutrino matter-interactions. In the latter case, the coupling constants of the relevant operators are large enough to give interesting signals in ultra-high energy neutrino scattering to matter.

Symmetry breaking and reheating after inflation in no-scale flipped SU(5)

No-scale supergravity and the flipped SU(5)×U(1) gauge group provide an ambitious prototype string-inspired scenario for physics below the string scale, which can accommodate the Starobinsky-like inflation favoured by observation when the inflaton is associated with one of the singlet fields associated with neutrino mass generation. During inflation, the vacuum remains in the unbroken GUT phase, and GUT symmetry breaking occurs later when a field with a flat direction (the flaton) acquires a vacuum expectation value. Inflaton decay and the reheating process depend crucially on GUT symmetry breaking, as decay channels open and close, depending on the value of the flaton vacuum expectation value. Here, we consider the simultaneous cosmological evolution of both the inflaton and flaton fields after inflation. We distinguish weak, moderate and strong reheating regimes, and calculate in each case the entropy produced as all fields settle to their global minima. These three reheating scenarios differ in the value of a Yukawa coupling that introduces mass mixing between the singlets and the 10s of SU(5). The dynamics of the GUT transition has an important impact on the production of gravitinos, and we also discuss the pattern of neutrino masses we expect in each of the three cases. Finally, we use recent CMB limits on neutrino masses to constrain the reheating models, finding that neutrino masses and the cosmological baryon asymmetry can both be explained if the reheating is strong.

Compatibility of A_{4} flavour symmetric minimal extended seesaw with (3+1) neutrino data

Motivated by the recent resurrection of the evidence for an eV scale sterile neutrino from the MiniBooNE experiment, we revisit one of the most minimal seesaw model known as the minimal extended seesaw that gives rise to a 3+1 light neutrino mass matrix. We consider the presence of A_{4} flavour symmetry which plays a non-trivial role in generating the structure of the neutrino mass matrix. Considering a diagonal charged lepton mass matrix and generic vacuum alignments of A_{4} triplet flavons, we classify the resulting mass matrices based on their textures. Keeping aside the disallowed texture zeros based on earlier studies of 3+1 neutrino textures, we categorise the remaining ones based on texture zeros, mu –tau symmetry in the 3times 3 block and hybrid textures. After pointing out the origin of such 3+1 neutrino textures to A_{4} vacuum alignments, we use the latest 3+1 neutrino oscillation data and numerically analyse the texture zeros and mu –tau symmetric cases. We find that a few of them are allowed from each category predicting interesting correlations between neutrino parameters. We also find that all of these allowed cases prefer normal hierarchical pattern of light neutrino masses over inverted hierarchy.

The bearable compositeness of leptons

Partial compositeness as a theory of flavor in the lepton sector is assessed. We begin presenting the first systematic analysis of neutrino mass generation in this context, and identifying the distinctive mass textures. We then update the bounds from charged lepton flavor and CP violating observables. We put forward a U(1)3 × CP symmetry of the composite sector, in order to allow the new physics to be not far above the TeV scale. This hypothesis effectively suppresses the new contributions to the electron EDM and μ → eγ, by far the most constraining observables, and results in a novel pattern of flavor violation and neutrino masses. The CP violation in the elementary-composite mixing is shown to induce a CKM phase of the correct size, as well as order-one phases in the PMNS matrix. We compare with the alternative possibility of introducing multiple scales of compositeness for leptons, that also allow to evade flavor and CP constraints. Finally, we examine violations of lepton flavor universality in B-meson semi-leptonic decays. The neutral-current anomalies can be accommodated, predicting strong correlations among different lepton flavors, with a few channels close to the experimental sensitivity.

Type II Seesaw and tau lepton at the HL-LHC, HE-LHC and FCC-hh

The tau lepton plays important role in distinguishing neutrino mass patterns and determining the chirality nature in heavy scalar mediated neutrino mass models, in the light of the neutrino oscillation experiments and its polarization measurement. We investigate the lepton flavor signatures with tau lepton at LHC upgrades, i.e. HL-LHC, HE-LHC and FCC-hh, through leptonic processes from doubly charged Higgs in the Type II Seesaw. We find that for the channel with one tau lepton in final states, the accessible doubly charged Higgs mass at HL-LHC can reach 655 GeV and 695 GeV for the neutrino mass patterns of normal hierarchy (NH) and inverted hierarchy (IH) respectively, with the luminosity of 3000 fb−1. Higher masses, 975-1930 GeV for NH and 1035-2070 GeV for IH, can be achieved at HE-LHC and FCC-hh.

Enhanced pair production of heavy Majorana neutrinos at the LHC

Towards experimental confirmations of the type-I seesaw mechanism, we explore a prospect of discovering the heavy Majorana right-handed neutrinos (RHNs) from a resonant production of a new massive gauge boson ($Z^{\prime}$) and its subsequent decay into a pair of RHNs ($Z^{\prime}\to NN$) at the future LHC. Recent simulation studies have shown that the discovery of the RHNs through this process is promising in the future. However, the current LHC data very severely constrains the production cross section of the $Z^{\prime}$ boson into a dilepton final states, $pp \to Z^{\prime}\to \ell^{+}\ell^{-} $ ($\ell=e$ or $\mu$). Extrapolating the current bound to the future, we find that a significant enhancement of the branching ratio ${\rm BR}(Z^{\prime}\to NN$) over ${\rm BR}(Z^{\prime}\to \ell^{+}\ell^{-}$) is necessary for the future discovery of RHNs. As a well-motivated simple extension of the Standard Model (SM) to incorporate the $Z^\prime$ boson and the type-I seesaw mechanism, we consider the minimal U(1)$_X$ model. We point out that this model can yield a significant enhancement up to ${\rm BR}(Z^{\prime}\to NN)/{\rm BR}(Z^{\prime}\to \ell^{+}\ell^{-}) \simeq 5$ (per generation). This is in sharp contrast with the minimal $B-L$ model, a benchmark scenario commonly used in simulation studies, which predicts ${\rm BR}(Z^{\prime}\to NN)/{\rm BR}(Z^{\prime}\to \ell^{+}\ell^{-}) \simeq 0.5$ (per generation). With such an enhancement and a realistic model-parameter choice to reproduce the neutrino oscillation data, we conclude that the possibility of discovering RHNs with a $300 \; {\rm fb}^{-1}$ luminosity implies that the $Z^\prime$ boson will be discovered with a luminosity of $170.5 \;{\rm fb}^{-1}$ ($125 \; {\rm fb}^{-1}$) for the normal (inverted) hierarchy of the light neutrino mass pattern.

Masses and Mixing of Neutral Leptons in a Grand Unified E6 Model with Intermediate Pati-Salam Symmetry

A brief review of the assignment of elementary fermions and bosons to irreducible multiplets in grand unified $E_6$ models is followed by a discussion of different, hierarchical symmetry breaking chains from $E_6$ down to $SU(3)_C \times U(1)_{EM}$. We concentrate here on a model with an intermediate Pati-Salam symmetry for which $(B-L)$ is conserved. In particular, the mass/mixing matrix of electrically neutral fermions (i.e.neutrinos) that would be derived from Yukawa couplings is constructed. The pattern of neutrino masses and some bounds on mixing parameters are discussed.

Study on TPB as wavelength shifter for the new ICARUS T600 light collection system in the SBN program

In the last 30 years, the incredible experimental progress made in the studies of neutrino oscillation allowed to better understand the pattern of neutrino masses and neutrinos mixing. However, further investigation are necessary, in particular concerning a series of experimental anomalies, observed in different neutrino experiments, which are uncorrelated with each other but all hinting at oscillation phenomena. The goal of the new Short Baseline Neutrino program is to perform sensitive searches for νe appearance and νμ disappearance in the Booster Neutrino Beam in order to understand experimental anomalies in neutrino physics and to perform the most sensitive search for sterile neutrinos at the eV mass-scale. The experiment includes three Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber detectors located along the Booster Neutrino Beam line at Fermilab. In this paper, the functioning of the Short Baseline Neutrino far detector, ICARUS-T600, is shown. In particular, this work is focused on the detector light collection system and on its upgrade concerning the wavelength shifting of the liquid argon scintillation from vacuum ultra-violet into visible light.

Supernova signatures of neutrino mass ordering

A suite of detectors around the world is poised to measure the flavor-energy-time evolution of the ten-second burst of neutrinos from a core-collapse supernova occurring in the Milky Way or nearby. Next-generation detectors to be built in the next decade will have enhanced flavor sensitivity and statistics. Not only will the observation of this burst allow us to peer inside the dense matter of the extreme event and learn about the collapse processes and the birth of the remnant, but the neutrinos will bring information about neutrino properties themselves. This review surveys some of the physical signatures that the currently-unknown neutrino mass pattern will imprint on the observed neutrino events at Earth, emphasizing the most robust and least model-dependent signatures of mass ordering.

Searching for signatures of E6

The grand unified group $E_6$~is a predictive scheme for physics beyond the standard model (SM). It offers the possibility of extra $Z$ bosons, new vector-like fermions, sterile neutrinos, and neutral scalars in addition to the SM Higgs boson. Some previous discussions of these features are updated and extended. Their relevance to present searches at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and in patterns of neutrino masses is noted. Addition of a small set of scalar bosons at the TeV scale permits gauge unification near a scale of $10^{16}$ GeV, and leads to bounds on masses of particles beyond those in the standard model.

Standard coupling unification in SO(10), hybrid seesaw neutrino mass and leptogenesis, dark matter, and proton lifetime predictions

We discuss gauge coupling unification of SU(3)C × SU(2)L × U(1)Y descending directly from non-supersymmetric SO(10) while providing solutions to the three out-standing problems of the standard model: neutrino masses, dark matter, and the baryon asymmetry of the universe. Conservation of matter parity as gauged discrete symmetry for the stability and identification of dark matter in the model calls for high-scale spontaneous symmetry breaking through 126H Higgs representation. This naturally leads to the hybrid seesaw formula for neutrino masses mediated by heavy scalar triplet and right-handed neutrinos. Being quadratic in the Majorana coupling, the seesaw formula predicts two distinct patterns of right-handed neutrino masses, one hierarchical and another not so hierarchical (or compact), when fitted with the neutrino oscillation data. Predictions of the baryon asymmetry via leptogenesis are investigated through the decays of both the patterns of RHν masses. A complete flavor analysis has been carried out to compute CP-asymmetries including washouts and solutions to Boltzmann equations have been utilised to predict the baryon asymmetry. The additional contribution to vertex correction mediated by the heavy left-handed triplet scalar is noted to contribute as dominantly as other Feynman diagrams. We have found successful predictions of the baryon asymmetry for both the patterns of right-handed neutrino masses. The SU(2)L triplet fermionic dark matter at the TeV scale carrying even matter parity is naturally embedded into the non-standard fermionic representation 45F of SO(10). In addition to the triplet scalar and the triplet fermion, the model needs a nonstandard color octet fermion of mass ∼ 5 × 107 GeV to achieve precision gauge coupling unification at the GUT mass scale MU0 = 1015.56 GeV. Threshold corrections due to superheavy components of 126H and other representations are estimated and found to be substantial. It is noted that the proton life time predicted by the model is accessible to the ongoing and planned experiments over a wide range of parameter space.

A neutrino mass-mixing sum rule from SO(10) and neutrinoless double beta decay

Minimal SO(10) grand unified models provide phenomenological predictions for neutrino mass patterns and mixing. These are the outcome of the interplay of several features, namely: i) the seesaw mechanism; ii) the presence of an intermediate scale where B-L gauge symmetry is broken and the right-handed neutrinos acquire a Majorana mass; iii) a symmetric Dirac neutrino mass matrix whose pattern is close to the up-type quark one. In this framework two natural characteristics emerge. Normal neutrino mass hierarchy is the only allowed, and there is an approximate relation involving both light-neutrino masses and mixing parameters. This differs from what occurring when horizontal flavour symmetries are invoked. In this case, in fact, neutrino mixing or mass relations have been separately obtained in literature. In this paper we discuss an example of such comprehensive mixing-mass relation in a specific realization of SO(10) and, in particular, analyse its impact on the expected neutrinoless double beta decay effective mass parameter 〈mee〉, and on the neutrino mass scale. Remarkably a lower limit for the lightest neutrino mass is obtained (mlightest ≳ 7.5 × 10−4 eV, at 3 σ level).

Neutrinoless double beta decay in LRSM with natural type-II seesaw dominance

We present a detailed discussion on neutrinoless double beta decay within a class of left-right symmetric models where neutrino mass originates by natural type-II seesaw dominance. The spontaneous symmetry breaking is implemented with doublets, triplets and bidoublet scalars. The fermion sector is extended with an extra sterile neutrino per generation that helps in implementing the seesaw mechanism. The presence of extra particles in the model exactly cancels type-I seesaw and allows large value for Dirac neutrino mass matrix $M_D$. The key feature of this work is that all the physical masses and mixing are expressed in terms of neutrino oscillation parameters and lightest neutrino mass thereby facilitating to constrain light neutrino masses from $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay. With this large value of $M_D$ new contributions arise due to; i) purely left-handed current via exchange of heavy right-handed neutrinos as well as sterile neutrinos, ii) the so called $\lambda$ and $\eta$ diagrams. New physics contributions also arise from right-handed currents with right-handed gauge boson $W_R$ mass around $3$~TeV. From the numerical study, we find that the new contributions to $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay not only saturate the current experimental bound but also give lower limit on absolute scale of lightest neutrino mass and favor NH pattern of light neutrino mass hierarchy.

Screening of developmental toxicity – Validation and predictivity of the zebrafish embryotoxicity assay (ZETA) and strategies to optimize de-risking developmental toxicity of drug candidates

Recent data from neutrino experiments gives intriguing hints about the mass ordering, the CP violating phase and non-maximal atmospheric mixing. There seems to be a (one sigma) preference for a normal ordered (NO) neutrino mass pattern, with a CP phase δ=−100°±50°, and (more significantly) non-maximal atmospheric mixing. Global fits for the NO case yield lepton mixing angle one sigma ranges: θ23≈41.4°±1.6°, θ12≈33.2°±1.2°, θ13≈8.45°±0.15°. Cosmology gives a limit on the total of the three masses to be below about 0.23 eV, favouring hierarchical neutrino masses over quasi-degenerate masses. Given such experimental advances, it seems an opportune moment to review the theoretical status of attempts to explain such a pattern of neutrino masses and lepton mixing, focusing on approaches based on the four pillars of: predictivity, minimality, robustness and unification. Predictivity can result from various mixing sum rules whose status is reviewed. Minimality can follow from the type I seesaw mechanism, including constrained sequential dominance of right-handed (RH) neutrinos, and the littlest seesaw model. Robustness requires enforcing a discrete CP and non-Abelian family symmetry, spontaneously broken by flavons with the symmetry preserved in a semi-direct way. Unification can account for all lepton and quark masses, mixing angles and CP phases, as in Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories of Flavour, with possible string theory origin.