Flavor symmetry L μ-L τ and quasidegenerate neutrinos

Current data implies three simple forms of the neutrino mass matrix, each corresponding to the conservation of a nonstandard lepton charge. While models based on L _e and L _e-L _μ-L _τ are well known, little attention has been paid to L _μ-L _τ. A low-energy mass matrix conserving L _μ-L _τ implies quasidegenerate light neutrinos. Moreover, it is μ-τ symmetric and therefore (in contrast to L _e and L _e-L _μ-L _τ) automatically predicts maximal atmospheric neutrino mixing and zero U _e3. A seesaw model based on L _μ-L _τ is investigated and testable predictions for the neutrino mixing observables are given. Renormalization group running below and in between the seesaw scales is taken into account in our analysis, both numerically and analytically. The text was submitted by the authors in English.