0000000000042859

AUTHOR

M.b. Gavela

Minimal flavour seesaw models

26 pages, 8 figures.-- ArXiv pre-print available at: http://arxiv.org/abs/0906.1461

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On the measurement of leptonic CP violation

We show that the simultaneous determination of the leptonic CP-odd phase $\delta$ and the angle $\theta_{13}$ from the subleading transitions $\nu_e\to\nu_\mu$ and ${\bar\nu}_e\to{\bar\nu}_\mu$ results generically, at fixed neutrino energy and baseline, in two degenerate solutions. In light of this, we refine a previous analysis of the sensitivity to leptonic CP violation at a neutrino factory, in the LMA-MSW scenario, by exploring the full range of $\delta$ and $\theta_{13}$. Furthermore, we take into account the expected uncertainties on the solar and atmospheric oscillation parameters and in the average Earth matter density along the neutrino path. An intermediate baseline of O(3000) km …

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Neutrino mixing and CP-violation

The prospects of measuring the leptonic angles and CP-odd phases at a neutrino factory are discussed in two scenarios: 1) three active neutrinos as indicated by the present ensemble of atmospheric plus solar data; 2) three active plus one sterile neutrino when the LSND signal is also taken into account. For the latter we develop one and two mass dominance approximations. The appearance of wrong sign muons in long baseline experiments and tau leptons in short baseline ones provides the best tests of CP-violation in scenarios 1) and 2), respectively.

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Fading of symmetry nonrestoration at finite temperature

The fate of symmetries at high temperature determines the dynamics of the very early universe. It is conceivable that temperature effects favor symmetry breaking instead of restoration. Concerning global symmetries, the non-linear sigma model is analyzed in detail. For spontaneously broken gauge symmetries, we propose the gauge boson magnetic mass as a ``flag'' for symmetry (non)-restoration. We consider several cases: the standard model with one and two Higgs doublets in the perturbative regime, and the case of a strongly interacting Higgs sector. The latter is done in a model independent way with the tools provided by chiral Lagrangians. Our results clearly point towards restoration, a pa…

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The self-couplings of vector bosons: does LEP-1 obviate LEP-2?

Abstract Theories beyond the standard model (“meta-theories”) are severely constrained by the current body of data and must necessarily respect the standard gauge symmetry. We analyze the constraints on two generic types of meta-theory, in which fundamental scalar do or do not exist. The novel low-energy effects can be comprehensively described by grafting onto the standard lagrangian new operators that - in the sense of a Taylor expansion - form a complete set. Completeness calls for consideration of previously discarded operators, and for a thorough exploitation of the equations of motion. We illustrate the current strictures by focusing on the allowed range of departures from the most cr…

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Superbeams plus neutrino factory: The golden path to leptonic CP violation

Superbeams (SB) and Neutrino Factories (NF) are not alternative facilities for exploring neutrino oscillation physics, but successive steps. The correct strategy is to contemplate the combination of their expected physics results. We show its important potential on the disappearance of fake degenerate solutions in the simultaneous measurement of $\theta_{13}$ and leptonic CP violation. Intrinsic, sign($\Delta m_{13}^2$) and $\theta_{23}$ degeneracies are shown to be extensively eliminated when the results from one NF baseline and a SB facility are combined. A key point is the different average neutrino energy and baseline of the facilities. For values of $\theta_{13}$ near its present limit…

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Standard Model CP-violation and Baryon asymmetry

Simply based on CP arguments, we argue against a Standard Model explanation of the baryon asymmetry of the universe in the presence of a first order phase transition. A CP-asymmetry is found in the reflection coefficients of quarks hitting the phase boundary created during the electroweak transition. The problem is analyzed both in an academic zero temperature case and in the realistic finite temperature one. The building blocks are similar in both cases: Kobayashi-Maskawa CP-violation, CP-even phases in the reflection coefficients of quarks, and physical transitions due to fermion self-energies. In both cases an effect is present at order $\alpha_W^2$ in rate. A standard GIM behaviour is f…

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Atmospheric neutrino anomaly without maximal mixing?

We consider a pattern of neutrino masses in which there is an approximate mass degeneracy between the two mass eigenstates most coupled to the $\nu_\mu$ and $\nu_\tau$ flavour eigenstates. Earth-matter effects can lift this degeneracy and induce an effectively maximal mixing between these two generations. This occurs if $\nu_e$'s contain comparable admixtures of the degenerate eigenstates, even rather small ones. This provides an explanation of the atmospheric neutrino anomaly in which the {\it ab initio} introduction of a large mixing angle is not required. To test this possibility we perform a novel and detailed analysis of the 52 kiloton-year SuperKamiokande data, and we find that in a l…

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Neutrino oscillation physics with a neutrino factory

Data from atmospheric and solar neutrinos indicate that there are at least three neutrino types involved in oscillation phenomena. Even if the corresponding neutrino mass scales are very different, the inevitable reference to mixing between more than two neutrino types has profound consequences on the planning of the accelerator experiments suggested by these results. We discuss the measurement of mixing angles and CP phases in the context of the neutrino beam emanating from a {\it neutrino factory}: the straight sections of a muon storage ring. We emphasize the importance of charge identification. The appearance of wrong sign muons in a long baseline experiment may provide a powerful test …

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Four species neutrino oscillations at nu-Factory: sensitivity and CP-violation

The prospects of measuring the leptonic angles and CP-odd phases at a {\em neutrino factory} are discussed in the scenario of three active plus one sterile neutrino. We consider the $\nu_\mu \raw \nu_e$ LSND signal. Its associated large mass difference leads to observable neutrino oscillations at short ($\sim 1$ km) baseline experiments. Sensitivities to the leptonic angles down to $10^{-3}$ can be easily achieved with a 1 Ton detector. Longer baseline experiments ($\sim 100$ km) with a 1 Kton detector can provide very clean tests of CP-violation especially through tau lepton detection.

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Golden measurements at a neutrino factory

The precision and discovery potential of a neutrino factory based on muon storage rings is studied. For three-family neutrino oscillations, we analyse how to measure or severely constraint the angle $\theta_{13}$, CP violation, MSW effects and the sign of the atmospheric mass difference $\Delta m^2_{23}$. We present a simple analytical formula for the oscillation probabilities in matter, with all neutrino mass differences non-vanishing, which clarifies the subtleties involved in disentangling the unknown parameters. The appearance of ``wrong-sign muons'' at three reference baselines is considered: 732 km, 3500 km, and 7332 km. We exploit the dependence of the signal on the neutrino energy, …

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