Flavour physics without flavour symmetries

We quantitatively analyze a quark-lepton flavour model derived from a six-dimensional supersymmetric theory with $SO(10)\times U(1)$ gauge symmetry, compactified on an orbifold with magnetic flux. Two bulk $\mathbf{16}$-plets charged under the $U(1)$ provide the three quark-lepton generations whereas two uncharged $\mathbf{10}$-plets yield two Higgs doublets. At the orbifold fixed points mass matrices are generated with rank one or two. Moreover, the zero modes mix with heavy vectorlike split multiplets. The model possesses no flavour symmetries. Nevertheless, there exist a number of relations between Yukawa couplings, remnants of the underlying GUT symmetry and the wave function profiles of the zero modes, which lead to a prediction of the light neutrino mass scale, $m_{\nu_1} \sim 10^{-3}$ eV and heavy Majorana neutrino masses in the range from $10^{12}$ GeV to $10^{14}$ GeV. The model successfully includes thermal leptogenesis.Comment: Minor additions; Published versio

Proton decay in flux compactifications

We study proton decay in a six-dimensional orbifold GUT model with gauge group $SO(10)\times U(1)_A$. Magnetic $U(1)_A$ flux in the compact dimensions determines the multiplicity of quark-lepton generations, and it also breaks supersymmetry by giving universal GUT scale masses to scalar quarks and leptons. The model can successfully account for quark and lepton masses and mixings. Our analysis of proton decay leads to the conclusion that the proton lifetime must be close to the current experimental lower bound. Moreover, we find that the branching ratios for the decay channels $p \rightarrow e^+\pi^0$ and $p\rightarrow \mu^+\pi^0$ are of similar size, in fact the latter one can even be dominant. This is due to flavour non-diagonal couplings of heavy vector bosons together with large off-diagonal Higgs couplings, which appears to be a generic feature of flux compactifications.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, 2 table

The Neutrino Mass Window for Baryogenesis

Interactions of heavy Majorana neutrinos in the thermal phase of the early universe may be the origin of the cosmological matter-antimatter asymmetry. This mechanism of baryogenesis implies stringent constraints on light and heavy Majorana neutrino masses. We derive an improved upper bound on the CP asymmetry in heavy neutrino decays which, together with the kinetic equations, yields an upper bound on all light neutrino masses of 0.1 eV. Lepton number changing processes at temperatures above the temperature T_B of baryogenesis can erase other, pre-existing contributions to the baryon asymmetry. We find that these washout processes become very efficient if the effective neutrino mass \tilde{m}_1 is larger than m_* \simeq 10^{-3} eV. All memory of the initial conditions is then erased. Hence, for neutrino masses in the range from (\Delta m^2_sol)^{1/2} \simeq 8*10^{-3} eV to (\Delta m^2_atm)^{1/2} \simeq 5*10^{-2} eV, which is suggested by neutrino oscillations, leptogenesis emerges as the unique source of the cosmological matter-antimatter asymmetry.Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures include

Some Aspects of Thermal Leptogenesis

Properties of neutrinos may be the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe. In the seesaw model for neutrino masses this leads to important constraints on the properties of light and heavy neutrinos. In particular, an upper bound on the light neutrino masses of 0.1 eV can be derived. We review the present status of thermal leptogenesis with emphasis on the theoretical uncertainties and discuss some implications for lepton and quark mass hierarchies, CP violation and dark matter. We also comment on the `leptogenesis conspiracy', the remarkable fact that neutrino masses may lie in the range where leptogenesis works best.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures, submitted to the Focus on Neutrino Physics issue of the New Journal of Physics, edited by F. Halzen, M. Lindner and A. Suzuk

Cosmic Microwave Background, Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry and Neutrino Masses

We study the implications of thermal leptogenesis for neutrino parameters. Assuming that decays of N_1, the lightest of the heavy Majorana neutrinos, initiate baryogenesis, we show that the final baryon asymmetry is determined by only four parameters: the CP asymmetry epsilon_1, the heavy neutrino mass M_1, the effective light neutrino mass \tilde{m}_1, and the quadratic mean \bar{m} of the light neutrino masses. Imposing the CMB measurement of the baryon asymmetry as constraint on the neutrino parameters, we show, in a model independent way, that quasi-degenerate neutrinos are incompatible with thermal leptogenesis. For maximal CP asymmetry epsilon_1, and neutrino masses in the range from (\Delta m^2_{sol})^{1/2} to (\Delta m^2_{atm})^{1/2}, the baryogenesis temperature is T_B = O(10^{10}) GeV.Comment: 28 pages, 14 figures included; v2: erratum added, M_1 lower bound in the strong wash-out regime (see Eq. (63)) relaxed by a factor 2/

Stau-catalyzed 6^6Li Production in Big-Bang Nucleosynthesis

If the gravitino mass is in the region from a few GeV to a few 10's GeV, the scalar lepton X such as stau is most likely the next lightest supersymmetry particle. The negatively charged and long-lived X^- may form a Coulomb bound state (A X) with a nucleus A and may affect the big-bang nucleosynthesis through catalyzed fusion process. We calculate a production cross section of Li6 from the catalyzed fusion (He4 X^-) + d \to Li6 + X^- by solving the Schr\"{o}dinger equation exactly for three-body system of He4, d, and X. We utilize the state-of-the-art coupled-channel method, which is known to be very accurate to describe other three-body systems in nuclear and atomic reactions. The importance of the use of appropriate nuclear potential and the exact treatment of the quantum tunneling in the fusion process are emphasized. We find that the astrophysical S-factor at the Gamow peak corresponding to T=10 keV is 0.038 MeV barn. This leads to the Li6 abundance from the catalyzed process as Li6|_{CBBN}\simeq 4.3\times 10^{-11} (D/2.8\times 10^{-5}) ([n_{X^-}/s]/10^{-16}) in the limit of long lifetime of X. Particle physics implication of this result is also discussed.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Non equilibrium dynamics of mixing, oscillations and equilibration: a model study

The non-equilibrium dynamics of mixing, oscillations and equilibration is studied in a field theory of flavored neutral mesons that effectively models two flavors of mixed neutrinos, in interaction with other mesons that represent a thermal bath of hadrons or quarks and charged leptons. This model describes the general features of neutrino mixing and relaxation via charged currents in a medium. The reduced density matrix and the non-equilibrium effective action that describes the propagation of neutrinos is obtained by integrating out the bath degrees of freedom. We obtain the dispersion relations, mixing angles and relaxation rates of ``neutrino'' quasiparticles. The dispersion relations and mixing angles are of the same form as those of neutrinos in the medium, and the relaxation rates are given by $\Gamma_1(k) = \Gamma_{ee}(k) \cos^2\theta_m(k)+\Gamma_{\mu\mu}(k)\sin^2\theta_m(k) ; \Gamma_2(k)= \Gamma_{\mu\mu}(k) \cos^2\theta_m(k)+\Gamma_{ee}(k)\sin^2\theta_m(k)$ where $\Gamma_{\alpha\alpha}(k)$ are the relaxation rates of the flavor fields in \emph{absence} of mixing, and $\theta_m(k)$ is the mixing angle in the medium. A Weisskopf-Wigner approximation that describes the asymptotic time evolution in terms of a non-hermitian Hamiltonian is derived. At long time $>>\Gamma^{-1}_{1,2}$ ``neutrinos'' equilibrate with the bath. The equilibrium density matrix is nearly diagonal in the basis of eigenstates of an \emph{effective Hamiltonian that includes self-energy corrections in the medium}. The equilibration of ``sterile neutrinos'' via active-sterile mixing is discussed.Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures, version to appear in PR

Leptogenesis and Low-energy Observables

We relate leptogenesis in a class of theories to low-energy experimental observables: quark and lepton masses and mixings. With reasonable assumptions motivated by grand unification, one can show that the CP-asymmetry parameter takes a universal form. Furthermore the dilution mass is related to the light neutrino masses. Overall, these models offer a natural explanation for a lepton asymmetry in the early universe.Comment: 10 pages, revised discussion on light neutrino masse

Neutrino masses and mixing angles from leptoquark interactions

In this paper we show that the mixing between leptoquarks (LQ's) from different $SU(2)_l$ multiplets can generate a non-trivial Majorana mass matrix for neutrinos through one loop self energy diagrams. Such mixing can arise from gauge invariant and renormalizable LQ-Higgs interaction terms after EW symmetry breaking. We use the experimental indication on neutrino oscillation to find constraints on specific combinations of LQ couplings to quark-lepton pairs and to the SM higgs boson. These constraints are compared with the ones from $\pi\to e\bar {\nu}_e$.Comment: The expressions for majorana mass matrix of neutrinos have been corrected so that they are symmetric. Final version to be published in Physical Review