arXiv subjects

A. Ibarra

Publications and source records attributed to A. Ibarra.

45 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2001

Massive neutrinos and lepton-flavour-violating processes

If neutrino masses and mixings are suitable to explain the atmospheric and solar neutrino fluxes, this amounts to contributions to FCNC processes, in particular $μ\to e, γ$. If the theory is supersymmetric and the origin of the masses is a see-saw mechanism, we show that the prediction for BR($μ\to e, γ$) is in general larger than the experimental upper bound, especially if the solar data are explained by a large angle MSW effect, which recent analyses suggest as the preferred scenario.

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arXiv2000

Neutrinos and Gauge Unification

The approximate unification of gauge couplings is the best indirect evidence for low-energy supersymmetry, although it is not perfect in its simplest realizations. Given the experimental evidence for small non-zero neutrino masses, it is plausible to extend the MSSM with three right-handed neutrino chiral multiplets, with large Majorana masses below the unification scale, so that a see-saw mechanism can be implemented. In this extended MSSM, the unification prediction for the strong gauge coupling constant at M_Z can be lowered by up to \sim 5%, bringing it closer to the experimental value at 1σ, therefore improving significantly the accuracy of gauge coupling unification.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Impact of radiative corrections on sterile neutrino scenarios

In sterile neutrino scenarios, radiative corrections induce mass splittings proportional to the top Yukawa coupling, in contrast to the three active neutrino case where the induced splittings are proportional to the tau Yukawa coupling. In view of this, we have analyzed the stability of the four-neutrino schemes favored by oscillation experiments, consisting in two pairs of nearly degenerate neutrinos separated by the LSND gap. Requiring compatibility with the measurements of the abundances of primordial elements produced in Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, we find that when the heaviest pair corresponds to the solar neutrinos (mainly an admixture of nu_e - nu_s) the natural mass splitting is 3-5 orders of magnitude larger than the observed one, discrediting the scenario from a theoretical point of view. On the contrary, the scheme where the heaviest pair corresponds to the atmospheric neutrinos (mainly an admixture of nu_mu - nu_tau) is safe from radiative corrections due to the small sterile component of these mass eigenstates.

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arXiv1999

General RG Equations for Physical Neutrino Parameters and their Phenomenological Implications

The neutral leptonic sector of the Standard Model presumably consists of three neutrinos with non-zero Majorana masses with properties further determined by three mixing angles and three CP-violating phases. We derive the general renormalization group equations for these physical parameters and apply them to study the impact of radiative effects on neutrino physics. In particular, we examine the existing solutions to the solar and atmospheric neutrino problems, derive conclusions on their theoretical naturalness, and show how some of the measured neutrino parameters could be determined by purely radiative effects. For example, the mass splitting and mixing angle suggested by solar neutrino data could be entirely explained as a radiative effect if the small angle MSW solution is realized. On the other hand, the mass splitting required by atmospheric neutrino data is probably determined by unknown physics at a high energy scale. We also discuss the effect of non-zero CP-violating phases on radiative corrections.

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arXiv1999

Theoretical Constraints on the Vacuum Oscillation Solution to the Solar Neutrino Problem

The vacuum oscillation (VO) solution to the solar anomaly requires an extremely small neutrino mass splitting, Delta m^2_{sol}\leq 10^{-10} eV^2. We study under which circumstances this small splitting (whatever its origin) is or is not spoiled by radiative corrections. The results depend dramatically on the type of neutrino spectrum. If m_1^2 \sim m_2^2 \geq m_3^2, radiative corrections always induce too large mass splittings. Moreover, if m_1 and m_2 have equal signs, the solar mixing angle is driven by the renormalization group evolution to very small values, incompatible with the VO scenario (however, the results could be consistent with the small-angle MSW scenario). If m_1 and m_2 have opposite signs, the results are analogous, except for some small (though interesting) windows in which the VO solution may be natural with moderate fine-tuning. Finally, for a hierarchical spectrum of neutrinos, m_1^2 << m_2^2 << m_3^2, radiative corrections are not dangerous, and therefore this scenario is the only plausible one for the VO solution.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Nearly degenerate neutrinos, Supersymmetry and radiative corrections

If neutrinos are to play a relevant cosmological role, they must be essentially degenerate with a mass matrix of the bimaximal mixing type. We study this scenario in the MSSM framework, finding that if neutrino masses are produced by a see-saw mechanism, the radiative corrections give rise to mass splittings and mixing angles that can accommodate the atmospheric and the (large angle MSW) solar neutrino oscillations. This provides a natural origin for the $Δm^2_{sol} << Δm^2_{atm}$ hierarchy. On the other hand, the vacuum oscillation solution to the solar neutrino problem is always excluded. We discuss also in the SUSY scenario other possible effects of radiative corrections involving the new neutrino Yukawa couplings, including implications for triviality limits on the Majorana mass, the infrared fixed point value of the top Yukawa coupling, and gauge coupling and bottom-tau unification.

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arXiv1999

Naturalness of nearly degenerate neutrinos

If neutrinos are to play a relevant cosmological role, they must be essentially degenerate. We study whether radiative corrections can or cannot be responsible for the small mass splittings, in agreement with all the available experimental data. We perform an exhaustive exploration of the bimaximal mixing scenario, finding that (i) the vacuum oscillations solution to the solar neutrino problem is always excluded; (ii) if the mass matrix is produced by a see-saw mechanism, there are large regions of the parameter space consistent with the large angle MSW solution, providing a natural origin for the $Δm^2_{sol} << Δm^2_{atm}$ hierarchy; (iii) the bimaximal structure becomes then stable under radiative corrections. We also provide analytical expressions for the mass splittings and mixing angles and present a particularly simple see-saw ansatz consistent with all observations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Massive Neutrinos and the Higgs Mass Window

If neutrino masses are produced by a see-saw mechanism the Standard Model prediction for the Higgs mass window (defined by upper (perturbativity) and lower (stability) bounds) can be substantially affected. Actually the Higgs mass window can close completely, which settles an upper bound on the Majorana mass for the right-handed neutrinos, $M$, ranging from $10^{13}$ GeV for three generations of quasi-degenerate massive neutrinos with $m_ν\simeq 2 $ eV, to $5\times 10^{14}$ GeV for just one relevant generation with $m_ν\simeq 0.1 $ eV. A slightly weaker upper bound on $M$, coming from the requirement that the neutrino Yukawa couplings do not develop a Landau pole, is also discussed.

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arXiv1998

Phenomenological viability of string and M-theory scenarios

We analyze the constraints that a correct phenomenology and the absence of dangerous charge and color breaking (CCB) minima or unbounded from below (UFB) directions impose on the parameter space of different superstring and M-theory scenarios. Namely, we analyze in detail the case where supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking is driven by non-vanishing dilaton and/or moduli F-terms in weakly and strongly coupled strings, and the specific case where the mechanism of SUSY breaking is gaugino condensation with or without the participation of non-perturbative contributions to the K{ä}hler potential. The results indicate that, only in some small windows of the parameter space all the previous tests are succesfully passed. We also discuss the impact of non-universality of the soft breaking terms on CCB/UFB bounds.

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