Mass Limit for Light Flavon with Residual Z3Z_3 Symmetry

We present a modified Altarelli and Feruglio $A_4$ model where an additional $A_4$ singlet-prime flavon is introduced. In this model, non-zero $\theta _{13}$ is given by this additional $A_4$ singlet-prime flavon which breaks tri-bimaximal mixing. In the framework of the supersymmetry with $U(1)_R$ symmetry, we obtain vacuum expectation values (VEVs) and VEV alignments of flavons through driving fields. It is considered that flavon induces distinctive flavor violating process if flavon mass is light. Assuming mass of SUSY particles are sufficiently heavy so that the SUSY contributions can be negligible, we discuss the flavor violating Yukawa interaction through flavon exchange in the charged lepton sector. According to the potential analysis, the VEV of flavon breaks $A_4$ down to $Z_3$ in the charged lepton sector and relation among flavon masses is determined. Thanks for the residual $Z_3$ symmetry, many lepton flavor violating decay modes are forbidden except for $\tau \rightarrow \mu \mu \bar{e}$ and $\tau \rightarrow e e \bar{\mu}$. A mass limit of the flavon from these three-body decay modes is $60$~GeV taking into account the current experimental lower bounds at the Belle experiment. In our model, we predict a ratio of the branching ratios $\tau \rightarrow \mu \mu \bar{e}$ and $\tau \rightarrow e e \bar{\mu}$ by using known charged lepton masses. We also find that the production cross section for the flavon can be $\mathcal{O}(1)$ fb. Thus the flavon would be found at the LHC run 2 by searching for 4-tau lepton signal.Comment: 14 pages, final versio

A4×U(1)PQA_4 \times U(1)_{PQ} Model for the Lepton Flavor Structure and the Strong CPCP Problem

We present a model with $A_4 \times U(1)_{PQ}$ lepton flavor symmetry which explains the origin of the lepton flavor structure and also solves the strong $CP$ problem. Standard model gauge singlet fields, so-called "flavons", charged under the $A_4 \times U(1)_{PQ}$ symmetry are introduced and are coupled with the lepton and the Higgs sectors. The flavon vacuum expectation values (VEVs) trigger spontaneous breaking of the $A_4 \times U(1)_{PQ}$ symmetry. The breaking pattern of the $A_4$ accounts for the tri-bimaximal neutrino mixing and the deviation from it due to the non-zero $\theta_{13}$ angle, and the breaking of the $U(1)_{PQ}$ gives rise to a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson, axion, whose VEV cancels the QCD $\theta$ term. We investigate the breaking of the $A_4 \times U(1)_{PQ}$ symmetry through an analysis on the scalar potential and further discuss the properties of the axion in the model, including its decay constant, mass and coupling with photons. It is shown that the axion decay constant is related with the right-handed neutrino mass through the flavon VEVs. Experimental constraints on the axion and their implications are also studied.Comment: 13 pages, final version, minor modification