Flavon vacuum alignment beyond SUSY

Motivated by the recent resurrection of the evidence for an eV scale sterile neutrino from the MiniBooNE experiment, we revisit one of the most minimal seesaw model known as the minimal extended seesaw that gives rise to a 3+1 light neutrino mass matrix. We consider the presence of A_{4} flavour symmetry which plays a non-trivial role in generating the structure of the neutrino mass matrix. Considering a diagonal charged lepton mass matrix and generic vacuum alignments of A_{4} triplet flavons, we classify the resulting mass matrices based on their textures. Keeping aside the disallowed texture zeros based on earlier studies of 3+1 neutrino textures, we categorise the remaining ones based on texture zeros, mu –tau symmetry in the 3times 3 block and hybrid textures. After pointing out the origin of such 3+1 neutrino textures to A_{4} vacuum alignments, we use the latest 3+1 neutrino oscillation data and numerically analyse the texture zeros and mu –tau symmetric cases. We find that a few of them are allowed from each category predicting interesting correlations between neutrino parameters. We also find that all of these allowed cases prefer normal hierarchical pattern of light neutrino masses over inverted hierarchy.

We present a complete model whose low energy effective theory is the R-parity violating NMSSM with a baryon number violating udd vertex of the MFV SUSY form, leading to prompt LSP decay and evading the ever stronger LHC bounds on low-scale R-parity conserving supersymmetry. MFV flavor structure is enforced by gauging an SU(3) flavor symmetry at high energies. After the flavor group is spontaneously broken, mass mixing between the standard model fields and heavy vector-like quarks and leptons induces hierarchical Yukawa couplings which depend on the mixing angles. The same mechanism generates the udd coupling, explaining its shared structure. A discrete R-symmetry is imposed which forbids all other dangerous lepton and baryon-number violating operators (including Planck-suppressed operators) and simultaneously solves the mu problem. While flavor constraints require the flavor gauge bosons to be outside of the reach of the LHC, the vector-like top partners could lie below 1 TeV.

A large family of 4d $ \mathcal{N}=2 $ SCFT’s was introduced in 1210.2886. Its elements D p (G) are labelled by a positive integer p ∈ $ \mathbb{N} $ and a simply-laced Lie group G; their flavor symmetry is at least G. In the present paper we study their physics in detail. We also analyze the properties of the theories obtained by gauging the diagonal symmetry of a collection of $ {D_{{{p_i}}}}(G) $ models. In all cases the computation of the physical quantities reduces to simple Lie-theoretical questions. To make the analysis more functorial, we replace the notion of the BPS-quiver of the $ \mathcal{N}=2 $ QFT by the more intrinsic concept of its META-quiver. In particular: 1) We compute the SCFT central charges a, c, k, and flavor group F for all D p (G) models. 2) We identify the subclass of D p (G) theories which correspond to previously known SCFT’s (linear SU and SO-U Sp quiver theories, Argyres-Douglas models, superconformal gaugings of Minahan-Nemeshanski E r models, etc.), as well as to non-trivial IR fixed points of known theories. The D p (E r ) SCFT’s with p ≥ 3 cannot be constructed by any traditional method. 3) We investigate the finite BPS chambers of some of the models. 4) As a by product, we prove three conjectures by Xie and Zhao, and provide new checks of the Argyres-Seiberg duality.

We explore the possibility of obtaining tribimaximal mixing matrix in the set-up of a spontaneous R parity violating theory and in the presence of A 4 flavor symmetry. Our model contains SU(3) C × SU(2) L × U(1) Y singlet matter chiral superfields which are arranged as triplet of A 4 and as well as few additional Higgs chiral superfields which are singlet under MSSM gauge group and belong to triplet and singlet representation under the A 4 flavor symmetry. R parity is broken spontaneously by the vacuum expectation values of the different sneutrino fields and hence we have neutrino-neutralino as well as neutrino-MSSM gauge singlet higgsino mixings in our model, in addition to the standard model neutrino-gauge singlet neutrino, gaugino-higgsino and higgsino-higgsino mixings. Because of all these mixings we have an extended 17 × 17 neutral fermion mass matrix. We explore the low energy neutrino mass matrix of our model, and point out that with some specific constraints between the sneutrino vacuum expectation values as well as the MSSM gauge singlet Higgs vacuum expectation values, the low energy neutrino mass matrix will lead to a tribimaximal mixing matrix, despite the non-trivial extension of the neutral fermion mass matrix which comes as an artifact of R-parity violation. We analyze the scalar potential minimization of our model and show that one can realize R-parity violation in this model through large vacuum expectation values of the SU(3) C × SU(2) L × U(1) Y singlet sneutrino fields, even when the other sneutrino vacuum expectation values are extremely small or even zero.

S3 models offer a low energy approach to describe the observed pattern of masses and mixing, of both quarks and leptons. In this work, we first revisit an S3 model with only one Higgs electroweak doublet, where the flavour symmetry must be broken in order to produce an acceptable pattern of masses and mixing for fermions. Then, we analyse different S3 models, where the flavour symmetry is preserved as an exact, but hidden symmetry of the low energy spectra, after the electroweak symmetry breaking. The latter models require the addition of two more Higgs electroweak doublets which are accommodated in an S3 doublet. We also explore the consequences of adding a fourth Higgs electroweak doublet, thus occupying all three irreducible representations of S3. We show how the various S3-invariant mass matrices of the different models can reproduce the two texture zeroes and Nearest Neighbour Interaction matrix forms, which have been found to provide a viable and universal treatment of mixing for both quarks and leptons. We also find analytical and exact expressions for the CKM matrix of the models in terms of quark mass ratios. Finally, we compare the expressions of the CKM matrix of the different S3 models with the most up to date values of masses and mixing in the quark sector, via a chi^2 analysis. We find that the analytical expressions we derived reproduce remarkably well the most recent experimental data of the CKM matrix, suggesting that S3 is a symmetry of the quark sector.

In this article we review the phenomenological consequences of radiative flavor-violation (RFV) in the MSSM. In the model under consideration the U(3)^3 flavor symmetry of the gauge sector is broken in a first step to U(2)^3 by the top and bottom Yukawa couplings of the superpotential (and possibly also by the bilinear SUSY-breaking terms). In a second step the remaining U(2)^3 flavor symmetry is softly broken by the trilinear A-terms in order to obtain the measured quark masses and the CKM matrix of the Standard Model (SM) at low energies. The phenomenological implications of this model depend on the actual choice of the SUSY breaking A-terms. If the CKM matrix is generated in the down sector (by A^d), Bs->mu^+mu^- receives non-decoupling contributions from Higgs penguins which become important already for moderate values of tan(beta). Also the Bs mixing amplitude can be significantly modified compared to the SM prediction including a potential induction of a new CP-violating phase (which is not possible in the MSSM with MFV).

Flavor symmetric model is one of the attractive Beyond Standard Models (BSMs) to reveal the flavor structure of the Standard Model (SM). A lot of efforts have been put into the model building and we find many kinds of flavor symmetries and setups are able to explain the observed fermion mass matrices. In this paper, we look for common predictions of physical observables among the ones in flavor symmetric models, and try to understand how to test flavor symmetry in experiments. Especially, we focus on the BSMs for leptons with extra Higgs $SU(2)_L$ doublets charged under flavor symmetry. In many flavor models for leptons, remnant symmetry is partially respected after the flavor symmetry breaking, and it controls well the Flavor Changing Neutral Currents (FCNCs) and suggests some crucial predictions against the flavor changing process, although the remnant symmetry is not respected in the full lagrangian. In fact, we see that $\tau^- \to e^+ \mu^- \mu^-$ $( \mu^+ e^- e^-)$ and $e^+ e^- \to \tau^+\tau^-$ $(\mu^-\mu^+)$ processes are the most important in the flavor models that the extra Higgs doublets belong to triplet representation of flavor symmetry. For instance, the stringent constraint from the $\mu \to e \gamma$ process could be evaded according to the partial remnant symmetry. We also investigate the breaking effect of the remnant symmetry mediated by the Higgs scalars, and investigate the constraints from the flavor physics: the flavor violating $\tau$ and $\mu$ decays, the electric dipole moments, and the muon anomalous magnetic moment. We also discuss the correlation between FCNCs and nonzero $\theta_{13}$, and point out the physical observables in the charged lepton sector to test the BSMs for the neutrino mixing.

Vacuum alignment in supersymmetric gauge theories

We construct a supersymmetric model with the flavor symmetry D 14 in which the CKM matrix element | V u d | can take the value | V u d | = cos ( π 14 ) ≈ 0.97493 implying that the Cabibbo angle θ C is sin ( θ C ) ≈ | V u s | ≈ sin ( π 14 ) ≈ 0.2225 . These values are very close to those observed in experiments. The value of | V u d | ( θ C ) is based on the fact that different Z 2 subgroups of D 14 are conserved in the up and down quark sector. In order to achieve this, D 14 is accompanied by a Z 3 symmetry. The spontaneous breaking of D 14 is induced by flavons, which are scalar gauge singlets. The quark mass hierarchy is partly due to the flavor group D 14 and partly due to a Froggatt–Nielsen symmetry U ( 1 ) FN under which only the right-handed quarks transform. The model is natural in the sense that the hierarchies among the quark masses and mixing angles are generated with the help of symmetries. The issue of the vacuum alignment of the flavons is solved up to a small number of degeneracies, leaving four different possible values for | V u d | . Out of these, only one of them leads to a phenomenological viable model. A study of the Z 2 subgroup breaking terms shows that the results achieved in the symmetry limit are only slightly perturbed. At the same time they allow | V u d | ( θ C ) to be well inside the small experimental error bars.

Models of neutrino mass which attempt to describe the observed lepton mixing pattern are typically based on discrete family symmetries with a non-Abelian and one or more Abelian factors. The latter so-called shaping symmetries are imposed in order to yield a realistic phenomenology by forbidding unwanted operators. Here we propose a supersymmetric model of neutrino flavor which is based on the group T 7 and does not require extra $ \mathbb{Z} $ N or U(1) factors in the Yukawa sector, which makes it the smallest realistic family symmetry that has been considered so far. At leading order, the model predicts tribimaximal mixing which arises completely accidentally from a combination of the T 7 Clebsch-Gordan coefficients and suitable flavon alignments. Next-to-leading order (NLO) operators break the simple tribimaximal structure and render the model compatible with the recent results of the Daya Bay and Reno collaborations which have measured a reactor angle of around 9°. Problematic NLO deviations of the other two mixing angles can be controlled in an ultraviolet completion of the model. The vacuum alignment mechanism that we use necessitates the introduction of a hidden flavon sector that transforms under a $ \mathbb{Z} $ 6 symmetry, thereby spoiling the minimality of our model whose flavor symmetry is then T 7 × $ \mathbb{Z} $ 6.

I compute the complete two-loop effective potential for the minimal supersymmetric standard model in the Landau gauge. This enables an accurate determination of the minimization conditions for the vacuum expectation values of the Higgs fields. Checks on the result follow from supersymmetric limits and from renormalization-scale invariance. The renormalization group equations for the field-independent vacuum energy and the vacuum expectation values are also presented. I provide numerical examples showing the improved accuracy and scale dependence obtained with the full two-loop effective potential.

In the framework of gauged flavour symmetries, new fermions in parity symmetric representations of the standard model are generically needed for the compensation of mixed anomalies. The key point is that their masses are also protected by flavour symmetries and some of them are expected to lie way below the flavour symmetry breaking scale(s), which has to occur many orders of magnitude above the electroweak scale to be compatible with the available data from flavour changing neutral currents and CP violation experiments. We argue that, actually, some of these fermions would plausibly get masses within the LHC range. If they are taken to be heavy quarks and leptons, in (bi)-fundamental representations of the standard model symmetries, their mixings with the light ones are strongly constrained to be very small by electroweak precision data. The alternative chosen here is to exactly forbid such mixings by breaking of flavour symmetries into an exact discrete symmetry, the so-called proton-hexality, primarily suggested to avoid proton decay. As a consequence of the large value needed for the flavour breaking scale, those heavy particles are long-lived and rather appropriate for the current and future searches at the LHC for quasi-stable hadrons and leptons. In fact, the LHC experiments have already started to look for them.

We analyze the moduli space dynamics of domain walls in $SU(N)$ QCD at $\bar\theta=\pi$, by softly breaking ${\cal N}\! =\!1$ SQCD with sfermion mixing. In the supersymmetric limit, BPS domain walls between neighbouring vacua are known to possess non-translational flavour moduli that form a $\mathcal{C} P^{N-1}$ sigma model. For the simplest case with gauge group $SU(2)$ and $N_f=2$, we show that this sigma model also exhibits a Hopf term descending from the bulk Wess-Zumino term with a quantized coefficient. On soft-breaking of supersymmetry via sfermion mixing that preserves the flavour symmetry, these walls and their moduli-space dynamics survives when $\bar\theta=\pi$ so that there are two degenerate vacua.

We study how leptogenesis can be implemented in a seesaw model with $S_4$ flavor symmetry, which leads to the neutrino tri-bimaximal mixing matrix and degenerate right-handed (RH) neutrino spectrum. Introducing a tiny soft $S_4$ symmetry breaking term in the RH neutrino mass matrix, we show that the flavored resonant leptogenesis can be successfully realized, which can lower the seesaw scale much so as to make it possible to probe in colliders. Even though such a tiny soft breaking term is essential for leptogenesis, it does not significantly affect the low energy observables. We also investigate how the effective light neutrino mass $|<m_{ee}> |$ associated with neutrinoless double beta decay can be predicted along with the neutrino mass hierarchies by imposing experimental data of low-energy observables. We find a direct link between leptogenesis and neutrinoless double beta decay characterized by $|<m_{ee}>|$ through a high energy CP phase $\phi$, which is correlated with low energy Majorana CP phases. It is shown that our predictions of $|<m_{ee}>|$ for some fixed parameters of high energy physics can be constrained by the current observation of baryon asymmetry.

This work investigates cosmic topological defects in gauge theories, focusing on models with an SU(N) gauge group coupled with a single flavor, explored through a holographic framework. At low energies, the effective theory is described by an axion-like particle resulting from the spontaneous breaking of the axial U(1)A flavor symmetry. As the Universe cools below a critical temperature, the chiral symmetry is broken, and non-trivial vacuum configurations form, resulting in the creation of cosmic strings and domain walls. We provide a UV description of these defects in a particular holographic theory, the Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model, as probe D6-branes. We show the presence of a first-order phase transition separating string loop from domain wall solutions. String loops charged under the baryon symmetry and with angular momentum — vortons — can be understood as excitations of a topological phase of matter given by a Chern-Simons theory living on the D6-brane world volume. Finally, we provide an effective description of string loops and vortons in terms of degrees of freedom living on the flavor brane, i.e. mesonic modes.