Charged lepton contributions to the solar neutrino mixing and theta_13

A charged lepton contribution to the solar neutrino mixing induces a contribution to theta_13, barring cancellations/correlations, which is independent of the model building options in the neutrino sector. We illustrate two robust arguments for that contribution to be within the expected sensitivity of high intensity neutrino beam experiments. We find that the case in which the neutrino sector gives rise to a maximal solar angle (the natural situation if the hierarchy is inverse) leads to a theta_13 close to or exceeding the experimental bound depending on the precise values of theta_12, theta_23, an unknown phase and possible additional contributions. We finally discuss the possibility that the solar angle originates predominantly in the charged lepton sector. We find that the construction of a model of this sort is more complicated. We comment on a recent example of natural model of this type.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur

Bi-Maximal Neutrino Mixing in the MSSM with a Single Right-Handed Neutrino

We discuss neutrino masses in the framework of a minimal extension of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) consisting of an additional single right-handed neutrino superfield $N$ with a heavy Majorana mass $M$, which induces a single light see-saw mass $m_{\nu_3}$ leaving two neutrinos massless at tree-level. This trivial extension to the MSSM may account for the atomospheric neutrino data via $\nu_{\mu}\to \nu_{\tau}$ oscillations by assuming a near maximal mixing angle $\theta_{23}\sim \pi/4$ and taking $\Delta m_{23}^2 \sim m_{\nu_3}^2 \sim 2.5\times 10^{-3} eV^2$. In order to account for the solar neutrino data we appeal to one-loop radiative corrections involving internal loops of SUSY particles, which we show can naturally generate an additional light neutrino mass $m_{\nu_{2}}\sim 10^{-5} eV$ again with near maximal mixing angle $\theta_{12}\sim \pi/4$. The resulting scheme corresponds to so-called ``bi-maximal'' neutrino mixing involving ``just-so'' solar oscillations.Comment: 18 pages, Latex. References to bi-maximal mixing fixe

Low Scale Technicolour at LEP

We discuss the phenomenology of an $SU(2)_{TC}$ technicolour model with a low technicolour confinement scale ${\Lambda}_{TC} \sim 50-100 GeV$. Such a low technicolour scale may give rise to the first hints of technicolour being seen at LEPI and spectacular technicolour signals at LEPII.Comment: 12 pages+1 figure (available by post), Latex, SHEP92/93-2

Quark and Lepton Mass Patterns and the Absolute Neutrino Mass Scale

We investigate what could be learned about the absolute scale of neutrino masses from comparisons among the patterns within quark and lepton mass hierarchies. First, we observe that the existing information on neutrino masses fits quite well to the unexplained, but apparently present regularities in the quark and charged lepton sectors. Second, we discuss several possible mass patterns, pointing out that this quite generally leads towards hierarchical neutrino mass patterns especially disfavoring the vacuum solution.Comment: final version to be published in PRD, 5 pages, 2 figures, RevTe

Fine-Tuning Constraints on Supergravity Models

We discuss fine-tuning constraints on supergravity models. The tightest constraints come from the experimental mass limits on two key particles: the lightest CP even Higgs boson and the gluino. We also include the lightest chargino which is relevant when universal gaugino masses are assumed. For each of these particles we show how fine-tuning increases with the experimental mass limit, for four types of supergravity model: minimal supergravity, no-scale supergravity (relaxing the universal gaugino mass assumption), D-brane models and anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking models. Among these models, the D-brane model is less fine tuned.The experimental propects for an early discovery of Higgs and supersymmetry at LEP and the Tevatron are discussed in this framework.Comment: 17 pages, Latex, including 5 eps figure

Anomalous 4-Jet Events at LEP: a Signal of Low Scale Technicolour?

We suggest that the anomalous 4-jet events recently reported by ALEPH may be the first indication of low scale technicolour. According to our interpretation about half of the events are due to resonantly enhanced pair production of charged technipions, of mass around 55 GeV, each decaying into a pair of jets, the other half being due to standard processes. The resonant enhancement is due to a nearby technirho resonance in the mass range 150-200 GeV, leading to hugely enhanced signals at the forthcoming LEP run at $\sqrt{s}=160$ GeV since the CM energy would be closer to the peak of the resonance.Comment: 11 pages, latex, no figure

Supersymmetric Hybrid Inflation with Non-Minimal Kähler potential

Minimal supersymmetric hybrid inflation based on a minimal Kahler potential predicts a spectral index n_s\gsim 0.98. On the other hand, WMAP three year data prefers a central value n_s \approx 0.95. We propose a class of supersymmetric hybrid inflation models based on the same minimal superpotential but with a non-minimal Kahler potential. Including radiative corrections using the one-loop effective potential, we show that the prediction for the spectral index is sensitive to the small non-minimal corrections, and can lead to a significantly red-tilted spectrum, in agreement with WMAP.Minimal supersymmetric hybrid inflation based on a minimal Kahler potential predicts a spectral index n_s\gsim 0.98. On the other hand, WMAP three year data prefers a central value n_s \approx 0.95. We propose a class of supersymmetric hybrid inflation models based on the same minimal superpotential but with a non-minimal Kahler potential. Including radiative corrections using the one-loop effective potential, we show that the prediction for the spectral index is sensitive to the small non-minimal corrections, and can lead to a significantly red-tilted spectrum, in agreement with WMAP.Minimal supersymmetric hybrid inflation based on a minimal Kähler potential predicts a spectral index ns≳0.98 . On the other hand, WMAP three year data prefers a central value ns≈0.95 . We propose a class of supersymmetric hybrid inflation models based on the same minimal superpotential but with a non-minimal Kähler potential. Including radiative corrections using the one-loop effective potential, we show that the prediction for the spectral index is sensitive to the small non-minimal corrections, and can lead to a significantly red-tilted spectrum, in agreement with WMAP

Flavour Democracy in Strong Unification

We show that the fermion mass spectrum may naturally be understood in terms of flavour democratic fixed points in supersymmetric theories which have a large domain of attraction in the presence of "strong unification". Our approach provides an alternative to the approximate Yukawa texture zeroes of the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. We discuss a particular model based on a broken gauged $SU(3)_L\times SU(3)_R$ family symmetry which illustrates our approach.Comment: 21 Pages plain latex; includes 5 eps figure

Dilaton Stabilisation in DD-term Inflation

Dilaton stabilisation is usually considered to pose a serious obstacle to successful $D$-term inflation in superstring theories. We argue that the physics of gaugino condensation is likely to be modified during the inflationary phase in such a way as to enhance the gaugino condensation scale. This enables dilaton stabilisation during inflation with the $D$-term still dominating the vacuum energy at the stable minimum.Comment: 13 pages, Latex, 1 figur

Neutrino Masses in SUSY Models

In this talk we assume the conventional see-saw mechanism, and contruct a hierarchical pattern of three active neutrinos with bi-maximal mixing. In order to enforce the hierarchy we use the single right handed neutrino dominance mechanism which is a very nice way to ensure a neutrino mass hierarchy in the presence of large mixing angles. We show how this mechanism can be organised in the framework of a U(1) family symmetry, then discuss a realistic string-inspired model which includes such a symmetry.Comment: Invited Talk at EuroConference on Frontiers in Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, San Feliu de Guixols, Spain, 30 September - 5 October 2000. 15 pages, Late