Neutrino mass in supersymmetry

After summarizing neutrino oscillation results I discuss high and low-scale seesaw mechanisms, with or without supersymmetry, as well as recent attempts to understand the pattern of neutrino mixing from flavor symmetries. I also mention the possibility of intrinsic supersymmetric neutrino masses in the context of broken R parity models, showing how this leads to clear tests at the LHC.Comment: 10 pages, 8 composite figures, plenary talk at SUSY09, to be published in proceedings (AIP

Status of Neutrino Theory

A summary of neutrino oscillation results is given along with a discussion of neutrino mass generation mechanisms, including high and low-scale seesaw, with and without supersymmetry, as well as recent attempts to understand flavor. I argue that if the origin of neutrino masses is intrinsically supersymmetric, it may lead to clear tests at the LHC. Finally, I briefly discuss thermal leptogenesis and dark matter.Comment: 12 pages, 11 composite figures (24 postscript files), plenary talk XXIV International Symposium on Lepton Photon Interactions at High Energies (Lepton Photon 09

Saint Paul’s doctrine of sin

St. Paul sees sin both as 'prenomic’ ("in. the world before the law was given" Rom.5.13) and as revealed by the law. The law was meant to "make alive" (Gal.3.21), but Paul came to see that the law reveals man's inability to fulfil God's, demand, and, in fact, energises 'prenomic' sin, making it '.transgression’. This realisation does not affect Paul's estimate, of-the law; rather, the law's failure, to fulfil its function in man is explained by the fact that man, as flesh, is "sold under sin" (Rom.7.14). The flesh is not inherently sinful, but is dominated by the power of sin. "All have sinned" (Rom.3.23) and sin is essentially one, though three, forms of sin are to be found in Paul's, thought. 'Prenomic' sin is a dominant feature of human activity or living which distinguishes it as resulting in alienation from God. This conception is made concrete in two directions. Firstly, transgression, which requires the context of the law, has the elements of defiance of God's demand and subjective guilt. Secondly, sin personalised is the hidden power of sin, which holds man in slavery. St. Paul is not so much concerned, with the origin of sin as with its consequences of alienation from God, 'more sin’ and death. It is as God reveals himself in the work of Christ and the gift of the Spirit that sin is revealed; it is in the revelation of Christ that God’s purpose of faith is made known and man's failure to fulfil God's purpose is revealed. The Christian though Christ has condemned sin in the flesh (Rom.8.3), has to contend with the fact that he is still in the flesh, as he awaits the full outworking of God's action in Christ in the resurrection of the dead

Neutrino masses twenty-five years later

The discovery of neutrino mass marks a turning point in elementary particle physics, with important implications for nuclear and astroparticle physics. Here I give a brief update, where I summarize the current status of three-neutrino oscillation parameters from current solar, atmospheric, reactor and accelerator neutrino data, discuss the case for sterile neutrinos and LSND, and also the importance of tritium and double beta decay experiments probing the absolute scale of neutrino mass. In this opininated look at the present of neutrino physics, I keep an eye in the future, and a perspective of the past, taking the oportunity to highlight Joe Schechter's pioneering contribution, which I have had the fortune to share, as his PhD student back in the early eighties.Comment: Invited talk presented at MRST'03 (Joe-Fest), Syracuse, NY, May 2003, 20 pages, uses AIP style file