Standard Coupling Unification in SO(10), Hybrid Seesaw Neutrino Mass and Leptogenesis, Dark Matter, and Proton Lifetime Predictions

We discuss gauge coupling unification of the SM descending directly from SO(10) while providing solutions to the three outstanding problems: neutrino masses, dark matter, and the baryon asymmetry of the universe. Conservation of matter parity as gauged discrete symmetry in the model calls for high-scale spontaneous symmetry breaking through ${126}_H$ Higgs representation. This naturally leads to the hybrid seesaw formula for neutrino masses mediated by heavy scalar triplet and right-handed neutrinos. The seesaw formula predicts two distinct patterns of RH$\nu$ 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 RH$\nu$ masses. A complete flavor analysis has been carried out to compute CP-asymmetries and solutions to Boltzmann equations have been utilized 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 RH$\nu$ masses. The triplet fermionic dark matter at the TeV scale carrying even matter parity is naturally embedded into the non-standard fermionic representation ${45}_F$ of SO(10). In addition to the triplet scalar and the triplet fermion, the model needs a nonstandard color octet fermion of mass $\sim 10^7$ GeV to achieve precision gauge coupling unification. Threshold corrections due to superheavy components of ${126}_H$ 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.Comment: 58 pages PDFLATEX, 19 Figures, Revised as suggested by JHEP Revie

Proton decay and new contribution to neutrino-less double beta decay in SO(10) with low-mass Z-prime boson, observable n-nbar oscillation, lepton flavor violation, and rare kaon decay

Conventionally for observable $n-{\bar n}$ oscillation through Pati-Salam intermediate gauge symmetry in $SO(10)$, the canonical seesaw mechanism is also constrained by $M_R \sim M_C \le 10^6$ GeV which yields light neutrino masses much larger than the neutrino oscillation data. Recently, this difficulty has been evaded via inverse seesaw mechanism, but with proton lifetime far beyond the experimentally accessible limits. In the present work, adopting the view that we may have only a TeV scale $Z^{\prime}$ gauge boson, we show how a class of non-SUSY $SO(10)$ models allow experimentally verifiable proton lifetime and the new contributions to neutrinoless double beta decay in the $W_L-W_L$ channel, lepton flavor violating branching ratios, observable $n-{\bar n}$ oscillation, and lepto-quark gauge boson mediated rare kaon decays. The occurrence of Pati-Salam gauge symmetry with unbroken D-parity and two gauge couplings at the highest intermediate scale guarantees precision unification in such models. This symmetry also ensures vanishing GUT threshold uncertainy on $\sin^2\theta_W$ or on the highest intermediate scale. Although the proton lifetime prediction is brought closer to the ongoing search limits with GUT threshold effects in the minimal model, no such effects are needed in a non-minimal model. We derive a new analytic expression for the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay half-life and show how the existing experimental limits impose the lower bound on the lightest of the three heavy sterile neutrino masses, $M_{S_1}\ge 14\pm 4$ GeV. We also derive a new lower bound on the lepto-quark gauge boson mass mediating rare kaon decay, $M_{\rm lepto} \ge (1.53{\pm 0.06})\times 10^6$ GeV. The $n-{\bar n}$ mixing times are predicted in the range$\tau_{n-{\bar n}}\simeq 10^8-10^{13}$ sec.Comment: 36 pages Latex, 9 figures and 5 table

Confusing Sterile Neutrinos with Deviation from Tribimaximal Mixing at Neutrino Telescopes

We expound the impact of extra sterile species on the ultra high energy neutrino fluxes in neutrino telescopes. We use three types of well-known flux ratios and compare the values of these flux ratios in presence of sterile neutrinos, with those predicted by deviation from the tribimaximal mixing scheme. We show that in the upcoming neutrino telescopes, its easy to confuse between the signature of sterile neutrinos with that of the deviation from tribimaximal mixing. We also show that if the measured flux ratios acquire a value well outside the range predicted by the standard scenario with three active neutrinos only, it might be possible to tell the presence of extra sterile neutrinos by observing ultra high energy neutrinos in future neutrino telescopes.Comment: 22 pages, version to appear in Phys. Rev.