Systematic analysis of lepton family number violating processes in the framework of local gauge theories

General unified electroweak gauge theories with neutral lepton mixing are reexamined with regard to processes that change lepton family numbers L_f. The most general allowed mass sectors of models based on SU(2) × U(1) and SU(2)_L × SU(2)_R × U(1) are studied and the consequences for L_f changing processes such as μ → eγ, ν_f′ → ν_f + γ are worked out. We discuss models that break individual lepton family numbers but still conserve total lepton number L, as well as models in which L is broken too.