Annihilating leptogenesis

Leptogenesis is usually realized through decays of heavy particles. In this Letter we consider another possibility of generating a lepton asymmetry through annihilations of heavy particles. We demonstrate our idea with a realistic extension of the standard model containing a heavy doublet and a light singlet scalars in addition to right-handed neutrinos and Higgs triplets required for type-I + II seesaw of neutrino masses. We also clarify that this annihilating leptogenesis scenario can be naturally embedded in more fundamental theories, like left–right symmetric models or grand unified theories.     

Universal seesaw from left–right and Peccei–Quinn symmetry breaking

To generate the lepton and quark masses in the left–right symmetric models, we can consider a universal seesaw scenario by integrating out heavy fermion singlets which have the Yukawa couplings with the fermion and Higgs doublets. The universal seesaw scenario can also accommodate the leptogenesis with Majorana or Dirac neutrinos. We show that the fermion singlets can obtain their heavy masses from the Peccei–Quinn symmetry breaking.     

Sneutrino dark matter in gauged inverse seesaw models for neutrinos

Extending the minimal supersymmetric standard model to explain small neutrino masses via the inverse seesaw mechanism can lead to a new light supersymmetric scalar partner which can play the role of inelastic dark matter (IDM). It is a linear combination of the superpartners of the neutral fermions in the theory (the light left-handed neutrino and two heavy standard model singlet neutrinos) which can be very light with mass in ~5-20 GeV range, as suggested by some current direct detection experiments. The IDM in this class of models has keV-scale mass splitting, which is intimately connected to the small Majorana masses of neutrinos. We predict the differential scattering rate and annual modulation of the IDM signal which can be testable at future germanium- and xenon-based detectors.     

Radiative seesaw-type mechanism of fermion masses and non-trivial quark mixing

We propose a predictive inert two-Higgs doublet model, where the standard model (SM) symmetry is extended by \(S_{3}\otimes Z_{2}\otimes Z_{12}\) and the field content is enlarged by extra scalar fields, charged exotic fermions and two heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos. The charged exotic fermions generate a non-trivial quark mixing and provide one-loop-level masses for the first- and second-generation charged fermions. The masses of the light active neutrinos are generated from a one-loop-level radiative seesaw mechanism. Our model successfully explains the observed SM fermion mass and mixing pattern.     

Leptogenesis from first principles in the resonant regime

The lepton asymmetry generated by the out-of-equilibrium decays of heavy Majorana neutrinos with a quasi-degenerate mass spectrum is resonantly enhanced. In this work, we study this scenario within a first-principle approach. The quantum field theoretical treatment is applicable for mass splittings of the order of the width of the Majorana neutrinos, for which the enhancement is maximally large. The non-equilibrium evolution of the mixing Majorana neutrino fields is described by a formal analytical solution of the Kadanoff–Baym equations, that is obtained by neglecting the back-reaction. Based on this solution, we derive approximate analytical expressions for the generated asymmetry and compare them to the Boltzmann result. We find that the resonant enhancement obtained from the Kadanoff–Baym approach is smaller compared to the Boltzmann approach, due to additional contributions that describe coherent transitions between the Majorana neutrino species. We also discuss corrections to the masses and widths of the degenerate pair of Majorana neutrinos that are relevant for very small mass splitting, and compare the approximate analytical result for the lepton asymmetry with numerical results.     

Pseudo-Majoron as dark matter

We consider the singlet Majoron model with softly broken lepton number. This model contains three right-handed neutrinos and a singlet scalar besides the standard model fields. The real part of the singlet scalar develops a vacuum expectation value to generate the lepton number violation for seesaw and leptogenesis. The imaginary part of the singlet scalar becomes a massive pseudo-Majoron to be a dark matter candidate with testability by colliders, direct detection experiments and neutrino observations.     

Dark matter from split seesaw

The seesaw mechanism in models with extra dimensions is shown to be generically consistent with a broad range of Majorana masses. The resulting democracy of scales implies that the seesaw mechanism can naturally explain the smallness of neutrino masses for an arbitrarily small right-handed neutrino mass. If the scales of the seesaw parameters are split, with two right-handed neutrinos at a high scale and one at a keV scale, one can explain the matter–antimatter asymmetry of the universe, as well as dark matter. The dark matter candidate, a sterile right-handed neutrino with mass of several keV, can account for the observed pulsar velocities and for the recent data from Chandra X-ray Observatory, which suggest the existence of a 5 keV sterile right-handed neutrino.     

TeV-scale seesaw from a multi-Higgs model

We suggest new simple model of generating tiny neutrino masses through a TeV-scale seesaw mechanism without requiring tiny Yukawa couplings. This model is a simple extension of the standard model by introducing extra one Higgs singlet, and one Higgs doublet with a tiny vacuum expectation value. Experimental constraints, electroweak precision data and no large flavor changing neutral currents, are satisfied since the extra doublet only has a Yukawa interaction with lepton doublets and right-handed neutrinos, and their masses are heavy of order a TeV-scale. Since active light neutrinos are Majorana particles, this model predicts a neutrinoless double beta decay.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">SU</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis></Subscript>(4)×<Emphasis Type="Italic">U</Emphasis>(1) model for electroweak unification and sterile neutrinos

Some of the basic problems in neutrino physics, such as new energy scales, the enormous gap between the neutrino masses and the lightest charged fermion mass, and the possible existence of sterile neutrinos in the eV mass range are studied in the local gauge group SU _L (4)×U(1) for electroweak unification, which does not contain fermions with exotic electric charges. It is shown that the neutrino mass spectrum can be decoupled from that of the other fermions. The further normal seesaw mechanism for neutrinos, with right-handed neutrino Majorana masses of order M≫M _weak as well a new eV-scale can be accommodated. The eV-scale seesaw may manifest itself in experiments like the Liquid Scintillation Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE (MB) experimental results and future neutrino experiments.     

Leptogenesis in flavor models with type I and II seesaws

In type I seesaw models with flavor symmetries accounting for the lepton mixing angles the CP asymmetry in right-handed neutrino decays vanishes in the limit in which the mixing pattern is exact. We study the implications that additional degrees of freedom from type II seesaw may have for leptogenesis in such a limit. We classify in a model independent way the possible realizations of type I and II seesaw schemes, differentiating between classes in which leptogenesis is viable or not. We point out that even with the interplay of type I and II seesaws there are generic classes of minimal models in which the CP asymmetry vanishes. Finally we analyze the generation of the lepton asymmetry by solving the corresponding kinetic equations in the general case of a mild hierarchy between the light right-handed neutrino and the scalar triplet masses. We identify the possible scenarios in which leptogenesis can take place.     

Leptogenesis and composite heavy neutrinos with gauge-mediated interactions

Leptogenesis is an appealing framework to account for the baryon asymmetry in the universe. To this end physics beyond the standard model is demanded. In this paper we investigate the possibility to attain successful leptogenesis with composite Majorana neutrinos. We work in the framework of effective gauge-mediated and contact interactions without any reference to an underlying compositeness theory. This approach is the one adopted in all current experimental searches for composite fermions at colliders. In the case of gauge-mediated interactions, we calculate the CP asymmetry in heavy composite neutrino decays. Both the direct and the indirect CP asymmetry are derived and resonant leptogenesis is also discussed. We find that the Sakharov conditions can be met and, for some choice of the parameters, the correct order of magnitude of the baryon asymmetry is reproduced.     

Parametrization of seesaw models and light sterile neutrinos

The recent recomputation of the neutrino fluxes from nuclear reactors relaxes the tension between the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies and disappearance data when interpreted in terms of sterile neutrino oscillations. The simplest extension of the Standard Model with such fermion singlets is the addition of right-handed sterile neutrinos with small Majorana masses. Even when introducing three right-handed neutrinos, this scenario has less free parameters than the 3 + 2 scenarios studied in the literature. This begs the question whether the best fit regions obtained can be reproduced by this simplest extension of the Standard Model. In order to address this question, we devise an exact parametrization of Standard Model extensions with right-handed neutrinos. Apart from the usual 3×3 neutrino mixing matrix and the 3 masses of the lightest neutrinos, the extra degrees of freedom are encoded in another 3×3 unitary matrix and 3 additional mixing angles. The parametrization includes all the correlations among masses and mixings and is valid beyond the usual seesaw approximation. Through this parametrization we find that the best fit regions for the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies in a 3 + 2 scenario can indeed be reproduced despite the smaller number of degrees of freedom.     

Light neutrinos from a mini-seesaw mechanism in warped space

The seesaw mechanism provides a simple explanation for the lightness of the known neutrinos. Under the standard assumption of a weak scale Dirac mass and a heavy sterile Majorana scale the neutrino mass is naturally suppressed below the weak scale. However, Nature may employ Dirac and Majorana scales that are much less than typically assumed, possibly even far below the weak scale. In this case the seesaw mechanism alone would not completely explain the lightness of the neutrinos. In this work we consider a warped framework that realizes this possibility by combining naturally suppressed Dirac and Majorana scales together in a mini-seesaw mechanism to generate light neutrino masses. Via the AdS/CFT correspondence the model is dual to a 4D theory with a hidden strongly coupled sector containing light composite right-handed neutrinos.     

Baryogenesis from mixing of lepton doublets

It is shown that the mixing of lepton doublets of the Standard Model can yield sizable contributions to the lepton asymmetry, that is generated through the decays of right-handed neutrinos at finite temperature in the early Universe. When calculating the flavour-mixing correlations, we account for the effects of Yukawa as well as of gauge interactions. We compare the freeze-out asymmetry from lepton-doublet mixing to the standard contributions from the mixing and direct decays of right-handed neutrinos. The asymmetry from lepton mixing is considerably large when the mass ratio between the right-handed neutrinos is of order of a few, while it becomes Maxwell-suppressed for larger hierarchies. For an intermediate range between the case of degenerate right-handed neutrinos (resonant leptogenesis) and the hierarchical case, lepton mixing can yield the main contribution to the lepton asymmetry.     

Insensitivity of leptogenesis with flavor effects to low energy leptonic CP violation

If the baryon asymmetry of the Universe is produced by leptogenesis, CP violation is required in the lepton sector. In the seesaw extension of the standard model with three hierarchical right-handed neutrinos, we show that the baryon asymmetry is insensitive to the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nagakawa-Sakata phases: thermal leptogenesis can work for any value of the observable phases. This result was well known when there were no flavor effects in leptogenesis; we show that it remains true when flavor effects are included.     

Probing the Majorana nature of TeV-scale radiative seesaw models at collider experiments

A general feature of TeV-scale radiative seesaw models, in which tiny neutrino masses are generated via loop corrections, is an extended scalar (Higgs) sector. Another feature is the Majorana nature; e.g., introducing right-handed neutrinos with TeV-scale Majorana masses under the discrete symmetry, or otherwise introducing some lepton number violating interactions in the scalar sector. We study phenomenological aspects of these models at collider experiments. We find that, while properties of the extended Higgs sector of these models can be explored to some extent, the Majorana nature of the models can also be tested directly at the International Linear Collider via the electron–positron and electron–electron collision experiments.     

Massive and massless neutrinos on unbalanced seesaws

The observation of neutrino oscillations requires new physics beyond the standard model (SM).A SM-like gauge theory with p lepton families can be extended by introducing q heavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos but preserving its SU(2)L x U(1)y gauge symmetry.The overall neutrino mass matrix M turns out to be a symmetric (p+q) x (p+q) matrix.Given p＞q,the rank of M is in general equal to 2q,corresponding to 2q non-zero mass eigenvalues.The existence of (p-q) massless left-handed Majorana neutrinos is an exact consequence of the model,independent of the usual approximation made in deriving the Type-I seesaw relation between the effective p x p light Majorana neutrino mass matrix M,and the q x q heavy Majorana neutrino mass matrix MR.In other words,the numbers of massive left- and right-handed neutrinos are fairly matched.A good example to illustrate this "seesaw fair play rule"is the minimal seesaw model with p ＝ 3 and q ＝ 2,in which one masslese neutrino sits on the unbalanced seesaw.     

Baryogenesis via leptogenesis in multi-field inflation

In multi-field reheating after modular j-inflation we investigate the conditions under which baryogenesis via non-thermal leptogenesis can be successfully realized. We introduce three heavy right-handed neutrinos to the non-supersymmetric Standard Model of particle physics, assuming hierarchical neutrino masses. Considering a typical mass for the first right-handed neutrino of the order of \(10^{11}\) GeV, suggested from the seesaw mechanism and also from concrete SO(10) grand unification models, we obtain the allowed parameter space for viable baryogenesis. An upper bound for the inflaton mass as well as a lower bound for its branching ratio to the pair of lightest right-handed neutrinos are found and reported.     

Entropy, baryon asymmetry and dark matter from heavy neutrino decays

The origin of the hot phase of the early universe remains so far an unsolved puzzle. A viable option is entropy production through the decays of heavy Majorana neutrinos whose lifetimes determine the initial temperature. We show that baryogenesis and the production of dark matter are natural by-products of this mechanism. As is well known, the cosmological baryon asymmetry can be accounted for by leptogenesis for characteristic neutrino mass parameters. We find that thermal gravitino production then automatically yields the observed amount of dark matter, for the gravitino as the lightest superparticle and typical gluino masses. As an example, we consider the production of heavy Majorana neutrinos in the course of tachyonic preheating associated with spontaneous B−L breaking. A quantitative analysis leads to constraints on the superparticle masses in terms of neutrino masses: For a light neutrino mass of ¹⁰−5 eV the gravitino mass can be as small as 200 MeV, whereas a lower neutrino mass bound of 0.01 eV implies a lower bound of 9 GeV on the gravitino mass. The measurement of a light neutrino mass of 0.1 eV would rule out heavy neutrino decays as the origin of entropy, visible and dark matter.     

Constraint on the heavy sterile neutrino mixing angles in the SO(10) model with double see-saw mechanism

Constraints on the heavy sterile neutrino mixing angles are studied in the framework of a minimal supersymmetric SO(10) model with the use of the double see-saw mechanism. A new singlet matter in addition to the right-handed neutrinos is introduced to realize the double see-saw mechanism. The light Majorana neutrino mass matrix is, in general, given by a combination of those of the singlet neutrinos and the active neutrinos. The minimal SO(10) model is used to give an example form of the Dirac neutrino mass matrix, which enables us to predict the masses and the mixing angles in the enlarged 9×9 neutrino mass matrix. Mixing angles between the light Majorana neutrinos and the heavy sterile neutrinos are shown to be within the LEP experimental bound on all ranges of the Majorana phases.