Leptogenesis in minimal predictive seesaw models

We estimate the Baryon Asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) arising from leptogenesis within a class of minimal predictive seesaw models involving two right-handed neutrinos and simple Yukawa structures with one texture zero. The two right-handed neutrinos are dominantly responsible for the "atmospheric" and "solar" neutrino masses with Yukawa couplings to $(\nu_e, \nu_{\mu}, \nu_{\tau})$ proportional to $(0,1,1)$ and $(1,n,n-2)$, respectively, where $n$ is a positive integer. The neutrino Yukawa matrix is therefore characterised by two proportionality constants with their relative phase providing a leptogenesis-PMNS link, enabling the lightest right-handed neutrino mass to be determined from neutrino data and the observed BAU. We discuss an $SU(5)$ SUSY GUT example, where $A_4$ vacuum alignment provides the required Yukawa structures with $n=3$, while a $\mathbb{Z}_9$ symmetry fixes the relatives phase to be a ninth root of unity.Comment: 16 pages, 2 tables. v2: minor changes, references added, version accepted in JHE

On the nature of Lithium-rich giant stars: constraints from Beryllium abundances

We have derived beryllium abundances for 7 Li-rich giant (A(Li) > 1.5) stars and 10 other Li-normal giants, with the aim of investigating the origin of the Lithium in the Li-rich giants. In particular, we test the predictions of the engulfment scenario proposed by Siess & Livio (1999), where the engulfment of a brown dwarf or one or more giant planets would lead to a simultaneous enrichment of 7Li and 9Be. We show that regardless their nature, none of the stars studied in this paper were found to have detectable beryllium. Using simple dilution arguments we show that the engulfment of an external object as the sole source of Li enrichment is ruled out by the Li and Be abundance data. The present results favor the idea that Li has been produced in the interior of the stars by a Cameron-Fowler process and brought up to the surface by an extra mixing mechanism.Comment: Accepted in A&

Unifying N=5 and N=6

We write the Lagrangian of the general N=5 three-dimensional superconformal Chern-Simons theory, based on a basic Lie superalgebra, in terms of our recently introduced N=5 three-algebras. These include N=6 and N=8 three-algebras as special cases. When we impose an antisymmetry condition on the triple product, the supersymmetry automatically enhances, and the N=5 Lagrangian reduces to that of the well known N=6 theory, including the ABJM and ABJ models.Comment: 19 pages. v2: Published version. Minor typos corrected, references adde