Understanding neutrino masses and mixings

We discuss ways to understand large neutrino mixings using new symmetries of quarks and leptons beyond the standard model for the three allowed patterns of neutrino masses: normal, inverted hierarchy and degenerate masses.     

Quantum corrections of neutrino masses and mixings

We discuss various aspects of the renormalisation of the neutrino mass operator. Due to quantum corrections, a given mixing at the GUT scale may be amplified or destroyed at low energies. The eigenvalues of the neutrino mass operator are also modified by quantum effects, which results in severe constraints on neutrino mass textures.     

New supersymmetric source of neutrino masses and mixings

Conventionally, neutrino masses in a supersymmetric theory arise from nonrenormalizable lepton-number (L)-violating operators in the superpotential. The alternative possibility of having such operators in the K?hler potential as the dominant source of neutrino masses has very interesting implications and differences with respect to the standard scenario: first, the scale of L violation can be lowered dramatically; second, the renormalization of these operators has remarkable properties: in many cases it improves drastically the stability of neutrino textures against radiative corrections, while in others it makes it possible to generate radiatively large mixing angles in a natural way.     

On neutrino masses and mixings from extra dimensions

In the framework of a Kaluza-Klein type theory with the Standard Model fields localized on a 4-dimensional section while gravity propagates in a full 4+δ-dimensional space-time, we examine a mechanism of naturally small neutrino mass generation through couplings of the Standard Model singlet fermion(s) living also in the full space-time. A numerical study is carried out on the charged current universality constraint from the ratio of pion decay partial widths. The bounds obtained on the fundamental mass scale could be stringent.     

Seesaw neutrino masses with large mixings from dimensional deconstruction

We demonstrate a dynamical origin for the dimension-five seesaw operator in dimensional deconstruction models. Light neutrino masses arise from the seesaw scale which corresponds to the inverse lattice spacing. It is shown that the deconstructing limit naturally prefers maximal leptonic mixing. Higher-order corrections which are allowed by gauge invariance can transform the bimaximal into a bilarge mixing. These terms may appear to be nonrenormalizable at scales smaller than the deconstruction scale.     

Models of neutrino masses and baryogenesis

Majorana masses of the neutrino implies lepton number violation and is intimately related to the lepton asymmetry of the universe, which gets related to the baryon asymmetry of the universe in the presence of the sphalerons during the electroweak phase transition. Assuming that the baryon asymmetry of the universe is generated before the electroweak phase transition, it is possible to discriminate different classes of models of neutrino masses. While see-saw mechanism and the triplet Higgs mechanism are preferred, the Zee-type radiative models and the R-parity breaking models requires additional inputs to generate baryon asymmetry of the universe during the electroweak phase transition.     

Numerical consistency check between two approaches to radiative corrections for neutrino masses and mixings

We briefly outline the two popular approaches on radiative corrections to neutrino masses and mixing angles, and then carry out a detailed numerical analysis for a consistency check between them in MSSM. We find that the two approaches are nearly consistent with a discrepancy factor of 4.2% with running vacuum expectation value (VEV) (13% for scale-independent VEV) in mass eigenvalues at low-energy scale but the predictions on mixing angles are almost consistent. We check the stability of the three types of neutrino models, i.e., hierarchical, inverted hierarchical and degenerate models, under radiative corrections, using both approaches, and find consistent conclusions. The neutrino mass models which are found to be stable under radiative corrections in MSSM are the normal hierarchical model and the inverted hierarchical model with opposite CP parity. We also carry out numerical analysis on some important conjectures related to radiative corrections in the MSSM, viz., radiative magnification of solar and atmospheric mixings in the case of nearly degenerate model having same CP parity (MPR conjecture) and radiative generation of solar mass scale in exactly two-fold degenerate model with opposite CP parity and non-zero U_e3 (JM conjecture). We observe certain exceptions to these conjectures. We find a new result that both solar mass scale and U_e3 can be generated through radiative corrections at low energy scale. Finally the effect of scaledependent vacuum expectation value in neutrino mass renormalisation is discussed     

S<Subscript>3</Subscript> symmetry and neutrino masses and mixings

Based on the universal seesaw mass matrix model with the three scalars φ_i, and by assuming S₃ flavor symmetry for the Yukawa interactions, the lepton masses and mixings are investigated systematically. In order to understand the observed neutrino mixing, the charged leptons (e,μ,τ) are regarded as the three objects (e₁,e₂,e₃) of S₃, while the neutrino mass eigenstates are regarded as the irreducible representation (ν_η,ν_σ,ν_π) of S₃, where (ν_π,ν_η) and ν_σ are a doublet and a singlet, respectively, which are composed of the three objects (ν₁,ν₂,ν₃) of S₃.     

Bi-large neutrino mixings by radiative magnification

Starting with the unification hypothesis of mixings of quarks and leptons and small quark-like mixings at the see-saw scale, we find that two large mixings for ν_e —νx03BC; andv _μ—v _τ at the weak scale are obtained as a result of renormalization group evolution and radiative magnification if the three neutrinos are quasi degenerate in masses and possess the same CP parity. We also find thatU _e3 remains small and well within the CHOOZ-Palo Verde bound since the correspondingV _ub for CKM mixing is very small. Several testable pedictions are pointed out.     

Neutrino masses and mixings: a theoretical perspective

We briefly review the recent activity on neutrino masses and mixings which was prompted by the confirmation of neutrino oscillations by the Superkamiokande experiment.     

Theory of neutrino masses and mixing

We motivate the usage of finite groups as symmetries of the Lagrangian. After a presentation of basic group-theoretical concepts, we introduce the notion of characters and character tables in the context of irreducible representations and discuss their applications. We exemplify these theoretical concepts with the groups S ₄ and A ₄. Finally, we discuss the relation between tensor products of irreducible representations and Yukawa couplings and describe a model for tri-bimaximal lepton mixing based on A ₄.     

Unconventional model of neutrino masses

Gelmini and Roncadelli have proposed a model of neutrino masses in which B?L symmetry is spontaneously broken by a small vacuum expectation value of a Higgs triplet. We give an exegesis of this model. We show that the massive neutrinos in this model cannot be cosmologically relevant today and that conflicting analyses of double beta decay experiments can be reconciled.