48 research outputs found
The role of Majorana CP phases in the bi-maximal mixing scheme -hierarchical Dirac mass case-
We discuss the energy scale profile of the bi-maximal mixing which is given
at the GUT energy scale in the minimal SUSY model, associated with an
assumption that Y_nu^dagger Y_nu is diagonal, where Y_nu is the neutrino-Yukawa
coupling matrix. In this model, the Dirac mass matrix which appears in the
seesaw neutrino mass matrix is determined by three neutrino masses, two
relative Majorana phases and three heavy Majorana masses. All CP phases are
related by two Majorana phases. We show that the requirement that the solar
mixing angle moves from the maximal mixing at GUT to the observed one as the
energy scale decreases by the renormalization effect. We discuss the
leptogenesis, and the lepton flavor violation process by assuming the universal
soft breaking terms.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figure
Implications of a Massless Neutralino for Neutrino Physics
We consider the phenomenological implications of a soft SUSY breaking term BN
at the TeV scale (here B is the U(1)_Y gaugino and N is the right-handed
neutrino field). In models with a massless (or nearly massless) neutralino,
such a term will give rise through the see-saw mechanism to new contributions
to the mass matrix of the light neutrinos.
We treat the massless neutralino as an (almost) sterile neutrino and find
that its mass depends on the square of the soft SUSY breaking scale, with
interesting consequences for neutrino physics. We also show that, although it
requires fine-tuning, a massless neutralino in the MSSM or NMSSM is not
experimentally excluded. The implications of this scenario for neutrino physics
are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, latex, no figure
U(2)-like Flavor Symmetries and Approximate Bimaximal Neutrino Mixing
Models involving a U(2) flavor symmetry, or any of a number of its
non-Abelian discrete subgroups, can explain the observed hierarchy of charged
fermion masses and CKM angles. It is known that a large neutrino mixing angle
connecting second and third generation fields may arise via the seesaw
mechanism in these models, without a fine tuning of parameters. Here we show
that it is possible to obtain approximate bimaximal mixing in a class of models
with U(2)-like Yukawa textures. We find a minimal form for Dirac and Majorana
neutrino mass matrices that leads to two large mixing angles, and show that our
result can quantitatively explain atmospheric neutrino oscillations while
accommodating the favored, large angle MSW solution to the solar neutrino
problem. We demonstrate that these textures can arise in models by presenting a
number of explicit examples.Comment: 20 pages RevTex4, 2 figure
Leptogenesis and Neutrino Oscillations Within A Predictive G(224)/SO(10)-Framework
A framework based on an effective symmetry that is either G(224)= SU(2)_L x
SU(2)_R xSU(4)^c or SO(10) has been proposed (a few years ago) that
successfully describes the masses and mixings of all fermions including
neutrinos, with seven predictions, in good accord with the data. Baryogenesis
via leptogenesis is considered within this framework by allowing for natural
phases (~ 1/20-1/2) in the entries of the Dirac and Majorana mass-matrices. It
is shown that the framework leads quite naturally, for both thermal as well as
non-thermal leptogenesis, to the desired magnitude for the baryon asymmetry.
This result is obtained in full accord with the observed features of the
atmospheric and solar neutrino oscillations, as well as with those of the quark
and charged lepton masses and mixings, and the gravitino-constraint. Hereby one
obtains a unified description of fermion masses, neutrino oscillations and
baryogenesis (via leptogenesis) within a single predictive framework.Comment: Efficiency factor updated, some clarifications and new references
added. 19 page
Neutrino Masses with "Zero Sum" Condition:
It is well known that the neutrino mass matrix contains more parameters than
experimentalists can hope to measure in the foreseeable future even if we
impose CP invariance. Thus, various authors have proposed ansatzes to restrict
the form of the neutrino mass matrix further. Here we propose that ; this ``zero sum'' condition can occur in certain
class of models, such as models whose neutrino mass matrix can be expressed as
commutator of two matrices. With this condition, the absolute neutrino mass can
be obtained in terms of the mass-squared differences. When combined with the
accumulated experimental data this condition predicts two types of mass
hierarchies, with one of them characterized by eV, and the other by eV and eV. The mass ranges
predicted is just below the cosmological upper bound of 0.23 eV from recent
WMAP data and can be probed in the near future. We also point out some
implications for direct laboratory measurement of neutrino masses, and the
neutrino mass matrix.Comment: Latex 12 pages. No figures. New references adde
Neutrino Masses and Mixing: Evidence and Implications
Measurements of various features of the fluxes of atmospheric and solar
neutrinos have provided evidence for neutrino oscillations and therefore for
neutrino masses and mixing. We review the phenomenology of neutrino
oscillations in vacuum and in matter. We present the existing evidence from
solar and atmospheric neutrinos as well as the results from laboratory
searches, including the final status of the LSND experiment. We describe the
theoretical inputs that are used to interpret the experimental results in terms
of neutrino oscillations. We derive the allowed ranges for the mass and mixing
parameters in three frameworks: First, each set of observations is analyzed
separately in a two-neutrino framework; Second, the data from solar and
atmospheric neutrinos are analyzed in a three active neutrino framework; Third,
the LSND results are added, and the status of accommodating all three signals
in the framework of three active and one sterile light neutrinos is presented.
We review the theoretical implications of these results: the existence of new
physics, the estimate of the scale of this new physics and the lessons for
grand unified theories, for supersymmetric models with R-parity violation, for
models of extra dimensions and singlet fermions in the bulk, and for flavor
models.Comment: Added note on the effects of KamLAND results. Two new figure
Reemergence of Epidemic Vibrio cholerae O139, Bangladesh
During March and April 2002, a resurgence of Vibrio cholerae O139 occurred in Dhaka and adjoining areas of Bangladesh with an estimated 30,000 cases of cholera. Patients infected with O139 strains were much older than those infected with O1 strains (p<0.001). The reemerged O139 strains belong to a single ribotype corresponding to one of two ribotypes that caused the initial O139 outbreak in 1993. Unlike the strains of 1993, the recent strains are susceptible to trimethoprim, sulphamethoxazole, and streptomycin but resistant to nalidixic acid. The new O139 strains carry a copy of the Calcutta type CTXCalc prophage in addition to the CTXET prophage carried by the previous strains. Thus, the O139 strains continue to evolve, and the adult population continues to be more susceptible to O139 cholera, which suggests a lack of adequate immunity against this serogroup. These findings emphasize the need for continuous monitoring of the new epidemic strains
Lepton Flavor Violating Process in Bi-maximal texture of Neutrino Mixings
We investigate the lepton flavor violation in the framework of the MSSM with
right-handed neutrinos taking the large mixing angle MSW solution in the
quasi-degenerate and the inverse-hierarchical neutrino masses. We predict the
branching ratio of and processes
assuming the degenerate right-handed Majorana neutrino masses. We find that the
branching ratio in the quasi-degenerate neutrino mass spectrum is 100 times
smaller than the ones in the inverse-hierarchical and the hierarchical neutrino
spectra. We emphasize that the magnitude of is one of important
ingredients to predict BR(). The effect of the deviation
from the complete-degenerate right-handed Majorana neutrino masses are also
estimated. Furtheremore, we examine the S_{3\sL}\times S_{3\sR} model, which
gives the quasi-degenerate neutrino masses, and the Shafi-Tavartkiladze model,
which gives the inverse-hierarchical neutrino masses. Both predicted branching
ratios of are smaller than the experimantal bound.Comment: Latex file, 38 pages, 10 figures, revised versio
Bilarge Neutrino Mixing and \mu - \tau Permutation Symmetry for Two-loop Radiative Mechanism
The presence of approximate electron number conservation and \mu-\tau
permutation symmetry of S_2 is shown to naturally provide bilarge neutrino
mixing. First, the bimaximal neutrino mixing together with U_{e3}=0 is
guaranteed to appear owing to S_2 and, then, the bilarge neutrino mixing
together with |U_{e3}|<<1 arises as a result of tiny violation of S_2. The
observed mass hierarchy of \Delta m^2_{\odot}<<\Delta m^2_{atm} is subject to
another tiny violation of the electron number conservation. This scenario is
realized in a specific model based on SU(3)_L x U(1)_N with two-loop radiative
mechanism for neutrino masses. The radiative effects from heavy leptons
contained in lepton triplets generate the bimaximal structure and those from
charged leptons, which break S_2, generate the bilarge structure together with
|U_{e3}|<<1. To suppress dangerous flavor-changing neutral current interactions
due to Higgs exchanges especially for quarks, this S_2 symmetry is extended to
a discrete Z_8 symmetry, which also ensures the absence of one-loop radiative
mechanism.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.
Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability