Right-handed Gauge Boson Research Articles

Light sterile neutrinos, left-right symmetry, and 0νββ decay

We investigate neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay rates in minimal left-right symmetric models in presence of relatively light right-handed neutrinos. By use of an effective field theory approach, we systematically include all contributions in the model as well as the dependence of the decay amplitude on the masses of right-handed neutrinos. In type-I and type-II seesaw scenarios, we analyze the impact of right-handed neutrinos heavier than about 10 MeV, showing that this effect can lead to a detection of 0νββ decay in the next-generation experiments even for the normal hierarchy and a relatively large right-handed scale set by the mass of hypothetical right-handed gauge bosons. Finally, we comment on a possible connection between light right-handed neutrinos and the strong CP problem.

A low-energy perspective on the minimal left-right symmetric model

We perform a global analysis of the low-energy phenomenology of the minimal left-right symmetric model (mLRSM) with parity symmetry. We match the mLRSM to the Standard Model Effective Field Theory Lagrangian at the left-right-symmetry breaking scale and perform a comprehensive fit to low-energy data including mesonic, neutron, and nuclear β-decay processes, ∆F = 1 and ∆F = 2 CP-even and -odd processes in the bottom and strange sectors, and electric dipole moments (EDMs) of nucleons, nuclei, and atoms. We fit the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa and mLRSM parameters simultaneously and determine a lower bound on the mass of the right-handed WR boson. In models where a Peccei-Quinn mechanism provides a solution to the strong CP problem, we obtain {M}_{W_R} ≳ 5.5 TeV at 95% C.L. which can be significantly improved with next-generation EDM experiments. In the P-symmetric mLRSM without a Peccei-Quinn mechanism we obtain a more stringent constraint {M}_{W_R} ≳ 17 TeV at 95% C.L., which is difficult to improve with low-energy measurements alone. In all cases, the additional scalar fields of the mLRSM are required to be a few times heavier than the right-handed gauge bosons. We consider a recent discrepancy in tests of first-row unitarity of the CKM matrix. We find that, while TeV-scale WR bosons can alleviate some of the tension found in the Vud,us determinations, a solution to the discrepancy is disfavored when taking into account other low-energy observables within the mLRSM.

Nuclear matrix elements for the λ mechanism of 0νββ decay of Ca48 in the nuclear shell-model: Closure versus nonclosure approach

The $\lambda$ and $m_{\beta\beta}$ mechanisms of neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) occur with light neutrino exchange via $W_L-W_R$, and $W_L-W_L$ mediation, respectively. In the present study, we calculate the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) for the $m_{\beta\beta}$ and $\lambda$ mechanisms of $0\nu\beta\beta$, which has origin in the left-right symmetric model with right-handed gauge boson at TeV scale. The NMEs are calculated for one of the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decaying isotope $^{48}$Ca in the interacting nuclear shell-model using the GXPF1A effective interaction of $pf$-shell. The NMEs are calculated in both closure and nonclosure approaches using four different methods: closure, running closure, running nonclosure, and mixed methods. All the NMEs are calculated incorporating the effects of the finite size of nucleons and the revisited higher order terms such as isoscalar and weak magnetism terms of the nucleon currents. Inclusion of the short-range nature of nucleon-nucleon interaction in Miller-Spencer, CD-Bonn, and AV18 parametrizations is also taken care of. The comparative dependence of the running closure and running nonclosure NMEs with the spin-parity of the allowed states of intermediate nucleus $^{48}$Sc, the coupled spin-parity of the two initial decaying neutrons and the final two protons, the cutoff excitation energy of $^{48}$Sc, the cutoff number of states of $^{48}$Sc are also examined. Results show that there are about 2-20\% enhancements in different types of total NMEs, calculated in the nonclosure approach as compared to the closure approach. The significant enhancements are found in the $M_{qGT}$ and $M_{qT}$ type NMEs for the inclusion of the higher-order terms of the nucleon currents.

Search for a right-handed gauge boson decaying into a high-momentum heavy neutrino and a charged lepton in pp collisions with the ATLAS detector at [formula omitted] TeV

A search for a right-handed gauge boson WR, decaying into a boosted right-handed heavy neutrino NR, in the framework of Left-Right Symmetric Models is presented. It is based on data from proton–proton collisions with a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 80 fb−1. The search is performed separately for electrons and muons in the final state. A distinguishing feature of the search is the use of large-radius jets containing electrons. Selections based on the signal topology result in smaller background compared to the expected signal. No significant deviation from the Standard Model prediction is observed and lower limits are set in the WR and NR mass plane. Mass values of the WR smaller than 3.8–5 TeV are excluded for NR in the mass range 0.1–1.8 TeV.

Probing neutrino Dirac mass in left-right symmetric models at the LHC and next generation colliders

We assess the sensitivity of the LHC, its high energy upgrade, and a prospective 100 TeV hadronic collider to the Dirac Yukawa coupling of the heavy neutrinos in left-right symmetric models (LRSMs). We focus specifically on the trilepton final state in regions of parameter space yielding prompt decays of the right-handed gauge bosons ($W_R$) and neutrinos ($N_R$). In the minimal LRSM, the Dirac Yukawa couplings are completely fixed in terms of the mass matrices for the heavy and light neutrinos. In this case, the trilepton signal provides a direct probe of the Dirac mass term for a fixed $W_R$ and $N_R$ mass. We find that while it is possible to discover the $W_R$ at the LHC, probing the Dirac Yukawa couplings will require a 100 TeV $pp$ collider. We also show that the observation of the trilepton signal at the LHC would indicate the presence of a non-minimal LRSM scenario.

Search for heavy Majorana or Dirac neutrinos and right-handed W gauge bosons in final states with two charged leptons and two jets at sqrt{s}=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for heavy right-handed Majorana or Dirac neutrinos NR and heavy right-handed gauge bosons WR is performed in events with a pair of energetic electrons or muons, with the same or opposite electric charge, and two energetic jets. The events are selected from pp collision data with an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb−1 collected by the ATLAS detector at sqrt{s}=13 TeV. No significant deviations from the Standard Model are observed. The results are interpreted within the theoretical framework of a left-right symmetric model and lower limits are set on masses in the heavy right-handed W boson and neutrino mass plane. The excluded region extends to {m}_{R_R}=4.7 TeV for both Majorana and Dirac NR neutrinos.

Searches for light sterile neutrinos with multitrack displaced vertices

We study discovery prospects for long-lived sterile neutrinos at the LHC with multitrack displaced vertices, with masses below the electroweak scale. We reinterpret current displaced vertex searches making use of publicly available, parametrized selection efficiencies for modeling the detector response to displaced vertices. We focus on production of right-handed $W_{R}$ bosons and neutrinos $N$ in a left-right symmetric model, and find poor sensitivity. After proposing a different trigger strategy (considering the prompt lepton accompanying the neutrino displaced vertex) and optimized cuts in the invariant mass and track multiplicity of the vertex, we find that the LHC with $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV and 300 fb$^{-1}$ is able to probe sterile neutrino masses between $10\hspace{0.1cm}\mbox{GeV}<m_{N}<20$ GeV (for a right-handed gauge boson mass of $2\hspace{0.1cm}\mbox{TeV}<m_{W_{R}}<3.5$ TeV). To probe higher masses up to $m_{N}\sim 30$ GeV and $m_{W_{R}}<5$ TeV, 3000 fb$^{-1}$ will be needed. This work joins other efforts in motivating dedicated experimental searches to target this low sterile neutrino mass region.

Neutrino Masses and Leptogenesis in Left–Right Symmetric Models: A Review From a Model Building Perspective

In this review, we present several variants of left-right symmetric models in the context of neutrino masses and leptogenesis. In particular, we discuss various low scale seesaw mechanisms like linear seesaw, inverse seesaw, extended seesaw and their implications to lepton number violating process like neutrinoless double beta decay. We also visit an alternative framework of left-right models with the inclusion of vector-like fermions to analyze the aspects of universal seesaw. The symmetry breaking of left-right symmetric model around few TeV scale predicts the existence of massive right-handed gauge bosons $W_R$ and $Z_R$ which might be detected at the LHC in near future. If such signals are detected at the LHC that can have severe implications for leptogenesis, a mechanism to explain the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe. We review the implications of TeV scale left-right symmetry breaking for leptogenesis.

The λ Mechanism of the 0νββ-Decay

The $\lambda$ mechanism ($W_L$-$W_R$ exchange) of the neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$-decay), which has origin in left-right symmetric model with right-handed gauge boson at TeV scale, is investigated. The revisited formalism of the $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay, which includes higher order terms of nucleon current, is exploited. The corresponding nuclear matrix elements are calculated within quasiparticle random phase approximation with partial restoration of the isospin symmetry for nuclei of experimental interest. A possibility to distinguish between the conventional light neutrino mass ($W_L$-$W_L$ exchange) and $\lambda$ mechanisms by observation of the $0\nu\beta\beta$-decay in several nuclei is discussed. A qualitative comparison of effective lepton number violating couplings associated with these two mechanisms is performed. By making viable assumption about the seesaw type mixing of light and heavy neutrinos with the value of Dirac mass $m_D$ within the range $1~ \textrm{MeV} < m_D < 1~ \textrm{GeV}$, it is concluded that there is a dominance of the conventional light neutrino mass mechanism in the decay rate.

Constraining the right-handed gauge boson mass from lepton number violating meson decays in a low scale left-right model

We analyze the lepton number violating (LNV) meson decays that arise in a TeV scale Left Right Symmetry model. The right handed Majorana neutrino $N$ along with the right handed or Standard Model gauge bosons mediate the meson decays and provide a resonant enhancement of the rates if the mass of $N$ ($M_N$) lies in the range $\sim (100\, \rm{MeV}-5\, \rm{GeV})$. Using the expected upper limits on the number of events for the LNV decay modes $M_{1}^{+} \to\ell^{+}\ell^{+}\pi^{-}$~($M_{1}=B, D, D_{s}, K$), we derive constraints plausible on the mass of the right handed charged gauge boson by future searches at the ongoing NA62 and LHCb experiments at CERN, the upcoming Belle II at SuperKEK, as well as at the proposed future experiments, SHiP and FCC-ee. These bounds are complimentary to the limits from same-sign dilepton search at Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The very high intensity of Charmed mesons expected to be produced at SHiP will result in a far more stringent bound, $M_{W_R}>18.4$~TeV (corresponding to $M_N=1.46$~GeV), than the other existing bounds from collider and neutrinoless double beta decay searches.

Restoration of parity and the right-handed analog of the CKM matrix

In a recent Letter we determined analytically the right-handed quark mixing matrix in the minimal Left-Right symmetric theory with generalized Parity. We derived its explicit form as a series expansion in a small parameter that measures the departure from hermiticity of quark mass matrices. Here we analyze carefully the convergence of the series by including higher order terms and by comparing with numerical results. We apply our findings to some phenomenological applications such as the production and decays of the right-handed gauge boson $W_R$, the neutrinoless double beta decay, the decays of the heavy scalar doublet, the strong CP parameter and the theoretical limits on the new mass scale from the $K$ and $B$-meson physics. In particular, we demonstrate that the relevant coupling for the production of the $W_R$ gauge boson at hadronic colliders and for the neutrinoless double beta decay equals its left-handed counterpart, within a percent. We also demonstrate that the stability of the theoretical lower limit on the $W_R$ mass from the $K$-meson physics is due to a partial cancellation of the external phases of the right-handed mixing matrix.

Neutrino jets from high-mass WR gauge bosons in TeV-scale left-right symmetric models

We re-examine the discovery potential at hadron colliders of high-mass right-handed (RH) gauge bosons $W_R$ - an inherent ingredient of Left-Right Symmetric Models (LRSM). We focus on the regime where the $W_R$ is very heavy compared to the heavy Majorana neutrino $N$, and investigate an alternative signature for $W_R \rightarrow N$ decays. The produced neutrinos are highly boosted in this mass regime. Subsequently, their decays via off-shell $W_R$ bosons to jets, i.e., $N \rightarrow \ell^\pm j j$ are highly collimated, forming a single neutrino jet $(j_N)$. The final-state collider signature is then $\ell^\pm j_N$, instead of the widely studied $\ell^\pm\ell^\pm jj$. Present search strategies are not sensitive to this hierarchical mass regime due to the breakdown of the collider signature definition. We take into account QCD corrections beyond next-to-leading order (NLO) that are important for high-mass Drell-Yan processes at the 13 TeV Large Hadron Collider (LHC). For the first time, we evaluate $W_R$ production at NLO with threshold resummation at next-to-next-to-leading logarithm (NNLL) matched to the threshold-improved parton distributions. With these improvements, we find that a ${W_R}$ of mass $M_{W_R} = 3~(4)~[5]$ TeV and mass ratio of $(m_N/M_{W_R})<0.1$ can be discovered with a $5-6 \sigma$ statistical significance at 13 TeV after ${10~(100)~[2000]~\text{fb}^{-1}}$ of data. Extending the analysis to the hypothetical 100 TeV Very Large Hadron Collider (VLHC), $5\sigma$ can be obtained for $W_R$ masses up to $M_{W_R}=15~(30)$ with approximately $100~\text{fb}^{-1}~(10~\text{ab}^{-1})$.

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.

Low mass right-handed gauge bosons from minimal grand unified theories

Prediction of low-mass WR and ZR gauge bosons in popular grand unified theories has been the subject of considerable attention over the last three decades. In this work we show that when gravity induced corrections due to dim.5 operator are included the minimal symmetry breaking chain of SO(10) and E6 GUTs can yield WR± and ZR bosons with masses in the range (3 – 10) TeV which are accessible to experimental tests at the Large Hordan Collider. The RH neutrinos turn out to be heavy pseudo-Dirac fermions. The model can fit all fermion masses and manifest in rich structure of lepton flavor violation while proton life time is predicted to be much longer than the accessible limit of Super-Kamiokande or palnned Hyper-Kamiokande collaborations.

Implications of the diboson excess for neutrinoless double beta decay and lepton flavor violation in TeV scale left-right symmetric model

Inspired by the recent diboson excess observed at the LHC and possible interpretation within a TeV-scale Left-Right symmetric framework, we explore its implications for low-energy experiments searching for lepton number and flavor violation. Assuming a simple Type-II seesaw mechanism for neutrino masses, we show that for the right-handed (RH) gauge boson mass and coupling values required to explain the LHC anomalies, the RH contribution to the lepton number violating process of neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) is already constrained by current experiments for relatively low-mass (MeV-GeV) RH neutrinos. The future ton-scale $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiments could probe most of the remaining parameter space, irrespective of the neutrino mass hierarchy and uncertainties in the oscillation parameters and nuclear matrix elements. On the other hand, the RH contribution to the lepton flavor violating process of $\mu\to e\gamma$ is constrained for relatively heavier (TeV) RH neutrinos, thus providing a complementary probe of the model. Finally, a measurement of the absolute light neutrino mass scale from future precision cosmology could make this scenario completely testable.

Symmetry restored in dibosons at the LHC?

A number of LHC resonance search channels display an excess in the invariant mass region of 1.8–2.0 TeV. Among them is a 3.4σ excess in the fully hadronic decay of a pair of Standard Model electroweak gauge bosons, in addition to potential signals in the HW anddijetfinalstates. Weperformamodel-independentcross-sectionfittotheresults of all ATLAS and CMS searches sensitive to these final states. We then interpret these results in the context of the Left-Right Symmetric Model, based on the extended gauge group SU(2) L × SU(2) R × U(1)′, and show that a heavy right-handed gauge boson W R can naturally explain the current measurements with just a single coupling g R ∼ 0.4. In addition, we discuss a possible connection to dark matter.

The eejj excess signal at the LHC and constraints on leptogenesis

We review the non-supersymmetric (Extended) Left-Right Symmetric Models (LRSM) and low energy E6-based models to investigate if they can explain both the recently detected excess eejj signal at CMS and leptogenesis. The eejj excess can be explained from the decay of the right-handed gauge bosons (WR) with mass ∼ TeV in certain variants of the LRSM (with gL≠ gR). However such scenarios can not accommodate high-scale leptogenesis. Other attempts have been made to explain leptogenesis while keeping the WR mass almost within the reach of the LHC by considering the resonant leptogenesis scenario in the context of the LRSM for relatively large Yukawa couplings. However, certain lepton number violating scattering processes involving the right-handed Higgs triplet and the right-handed neutrinos can stay in equilibrium till the electroweak phase transition and can washout the lepton asymmetry generated in the resonant leptogenesis scenario for mass range of WR as indicated by the CMS excess signal. Thus in such a scenario one needs to invoke post-sphaleron baryogenesis to explain the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. Next, we consider three effective low energy subgroups of the superstring inspired E6 model having a number of additional exotic fermions which provides a rich phenomenology to be explored. We however find that these three effective low energy subgroups of E6 too cannot explain both the eejj excess signal and leptogenesis simultaneously.

TeV Scale Lepton Number Violation and Baryogenesis

Contrary to the common lore based on naive dimensional analysis, the seesaw scale for neutrino masses can be naturally in the TeV range, with small parameters coming from radiative corrections. We present one such class of type-I seesaw models, based on the left-right gauge group SU(2)L × SU(2)R × U(1)B-L realized at the TeV scale, which fits the observed neutrino oscillation parameters as well as other low energy constraints. We discuss how the small parameters of this scenario can arise naturally from one loop effects. The neutrino fits in this model use quasi-degenerate heavy Majorana neutrinos, as also required to explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in our Universe via resonant leptogenesis mechanism. We discuss the constraints implied by the dynamics of this mechanism on the mass of the right-handed gauge boson in this class of models with enhanced neutrino Yukawa couplings compared to the canonical seesaw model and find a lower bound of mWR ≥ 9.9 TeV for successful leptogenesis assuming maximal CP asymmetry for each flavor. We also present a model with explicit neutrino mass fit, where the lower bound goes up to 13.1 TeV due to less than maximal primordial CP asymmetry predicted by the model.

Explaining a CMSeejjexcess withR-parity violating supersymmetry and implications for neutrinoless double beta decay

A recent CMS search for the right-handed gauge boson ${W}_{R}$ reports an interesting deviation from the Standard Model. The search has been conducted in the $eejj$ channel and has shown a $2.8\ensuremath{\sigma}$ excess around ${m}_{eejj}\ensuremath{\sim}2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$. In this work, we explain the reported CMS excess with $\mathcal{R}$-parity violating supersymmetry. We consider resonant selectron and sneutrino production, followed by the three body decays of the neutralino and chargino via an $\mathcal{R}$-parity violating coupling. We fit the excess for slepton masses around 2 TeV. The scenario can further be tested in neutrinoless double beta decay ($0\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\beta}$) experiments. GERDA Phase-II will probe a significant portion of the good-fit parameter space.

Leptogenesis constraints on the mass of right-handed gauge bosons

We discuss leptogenesis constraints on the mass of the right-handed $W$ boson (${W}_{R}$) in a TeV-scale left-right seesaw model for neutrino masses. For generic Dirac mass of the neutrinos, i.e. with all Yukawa couplings $\ensuremath{\lesssim}1{0}^{\ensuremath{-}5.5}$, it has been pointed out that successful leptogenesis requires a lower bound of 18 TeV on the ${W}_{R}$ mass, pushing it beyond the reach of the LHC. Such TeV-scale left-right seesaw model must, however, be parity asymmetric for type-I seesaw to give the observed neutrino masses. This class of models can accommodate larger Yukawa couplings, which give simultaneous fits to charged-lepton and neutrino masses, by invoking either cancellations or specific symmetry textures for Dirac (${M}_{D}$) and Majorana (${M}_{N}$) masses in the seesaw formula. We show that in this case the leptogenesis bound on ${M}_{{W}_{R}}$ can be substantially weaker, i.e. ${M}_{{W}_{R}}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}3\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$ for ${M}_{N}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{M}_{{W}_{R}}$. This happens due to considerable reduction of the dilution effects from ${W}_{R}$-mediated decays and scatterings, while the washout effects due to inverse decays are under control for certain parameter ranges of the Yukawa couplings. We also show that this model is consistent with all other low-energy constraints, such as lepton flavor violation and neutrinoless double beta decay. Thus, a discovery of the right-handed gauge bosons alone at the LHC will not falsify leptogenesis as the mechanism behind the matter-antimatter asymmetry in our Universe.