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G. C. Branco

Publications and source records attributed to G. C. Branco.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2003

Supersymmetry and a rationale for small CP violating phases

We analyse the CP problem in the context of a supersymmetric extension of the standard model with universal strength of Yukawa couplings. A salient feature of these models is that the CP phases are constrained to be very small by the hierarchy of the quark masses, and the pattern of CKM mixing angles. This leads to a small amount of CP violation from the usual KM mechanism and a significant contribution from supersymmetry is required. Due to the large generation mixing in some of the supersymmetric interactions, the electric dipole moments impose severe constraints on the parameter space, forcing the trilinear couplings to be factorizable in matrix form. We find that the LL mass insertions give the dominant gluino contribution to saturate epsilon_K. The chargino contributions to epsilon'/epsilon are significant and can accommodate the experimental results. In this framework, the standard model gives a negligible contribution to the CP asymmetry in B-meson decay, a_{J/ψK_s}. However, due to supersymmetric contributions to B_d-\bar{B}_d mixing, the recent large value of a_{J/ψK_s} can be accommodated.

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arXiv2003

Minimal Scenarios for Leptogenesis and CP Violation

The relation between leptogenesis and CP violation at low energies is analyzed in detail in the framework of the minimal seesaw mechanism. Working, without loss of generality, in a weak basis where both the charged lepton and the right-handed Majorana mass matrices are diagonal and real, we consider a convenient generic parametrization of the Dirac neutrino Yukawa coupling matrix and identify the necessary condition which has to be satisfied in order to establish a direct link between leptogenesis and CP violation at low energies. In the context of the LMA solution of the solar neutrino problem, we present minimal scenarios which allow for the full determination of the cosmological baryon asymmetry and the strength of CP violation in neutrino oscillations. Some specific realizations of these minimal scenarios are considered. The question of the relative sign between the baryon asymmetry and CP violation at low energies is also discussed.

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arXiv2002

CP violation versus flavour in supersymmetric theories

We show that the quark flavour structure and CP violating phenomena are strongly correlated in supersymmetric theories. For a generic pattern of supersymmetry breaking the two broad categories of Yukawa couplings, democratic and hierarchical textures, have entirely different phenomenological implications. With hierarchical Yukawas, the rephasing invariant phase, arg(V_us V_cb V_cb^* V_cs^*), in the CKM mixing matrix has to be of order unity, while the SUSY CP violating phases are severely constrained by electric dipole moments, giving rise to the so-called SUSY CP problem. With democratic Yukawas, all experimental CP results can be accommodated with small values for the CKM and SUSY CP violating phases (i.e., CP can be considered as an approximate symmetry at the high energy scale). We also show that within this scenario, an entirely real CKM matrix in supersymmetric models is still allowed by the present experimental results.

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arXiv2002

CP violation in supersymmetry with universal strength of Yukawa couplings

We analyse the CP problem in the context of a supersymmetric extension of the standard model with universal strength of Yukawa couplings. In these models we find a small amount of CP violation from the usual CKM mechanism and therefore a significant contribution from supersymmetry is required. The electric dipole moments impose severe constraints on the parameter space, forcing the trilinear couplings to be factorizable in matrix form. We find that the LL mass insertions give the dominant gluino contribution to saturate epsilon_K, while chargino contributions to epsilon'/epsilon are compatible with the experimental results. Due to significant supersymmetric contributions to B_d-\bar{B}_d mixing, the recent large value of a_{J/ψK_S} can be accommodated.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2002

Extra Dimensions, Isosinglet Charged Leptons and Neutrino Factories

Isosinglet fermions naturally arise in a variety of extensions of the Standard Model, in particular in models with extra dimensions. In this paper, we study the effect of the addition of a new isosinglet charged lepton to the standard spectrum, with special emphasis on implications for neutrino asymmetries to be measured at future neutrino factories. Lepton flavour violation in neutral current and lepton universality constraints are extensively discussed. We show that new physics effects in $ν_e-ν_μ$ CP asymmetries are significantly enhanced due to leptonic maximal mixings but still too small to give a signature at future neutrino factories. A signal for CP asymmetries in $ν_μ-ν_τ$ channel due to new physics could be observed at $1-3 σ$ if lepton flavour violating $τ$ decays are seen in a very close future in B-factories like BELLE experiment.

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arXiv2002

Leptogenesis, CP violation and neutrino data: What can we learn?

A detailed analytic and numerical study of baryogenesis through leptogenesis is performed in the framework of the standard model of electroweak interactions extended by the addition of three right-handed neutrinos, leading to the seesaw mechanism. We analyze the connection between GUT-motivated relations for the quark and lepton mass matrices and the possibility of obtaining a viable leptogenesis scenario. In particular, we analyze whether the constraints imposed by SO(10) GUTs can be compatible with all the available solar, atmospheric and reactor neutrino data and, simultaneously, be capable of producing the required baryon asymmetry via the leptogenesis mechanism. It is found that the Just-So^2 and SMA solar solutions lead to a viable leptogenesis even for the simplest SO(10) GUT, while the LMA, LOW and VO solar solutions would require a different hierarchy for the Dirac neutrino masses in order to generate the observed baryon asymmetry. Some implications on CP violation at low energies and on neutrinoless double beta decay are also considered.

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arXiv2002

Unitarity Triangles and the Search for New Physics

Assuming that the Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism gives the dominant contribution to CP violation at low energies, we propose a novel way of testing the flavour sector of the Standard Model which has the potencial for discovering New Physics. Using 3 x 3 unitarity of the V_{CKM} matrix and choosing a complete set of rephasing invariant phases, we derive a set of exact relations in terms of measurable quantities, namely moduli of V_{CKM} and arguments of rephasing invariant quartets. These tests complement the usual analysis in the ρ, ηplane and, if there is New Physics, may reveal its source.

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arXiv2002

Leptogenesis and Low Energy CP Violation

We discuss the possibility of relating the size and sign of the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe to CP violation observable at low energies, in a framework where the observed baryon asymmetry is produced by leptogenesis through out of equilibrium decay of heavy Majorana neutrinos. We have shown that although in general such a connection cannot be established, there are specific frameworks where a link does exist. Furthermore, we identify the CP violating phases relevant to leptogenesis and those relevant for low energy CP violation and build weak basis invariant conditions for CP conservation.

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arXiv2001

Spontaneous CP Violation in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

We re-examine spontaneous $\cp$ violation (SCPV) at the tree level in the context of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM) with two Higgs doublets and a gauge singlet field. We analyse the most general Higgs potential without a discrete $Z_3$ symmetry, and derive an upper bound on the mass of the lightest neutral Higgs boson. We estimate $\epsi_K$ by applying the mass insertion approximation, finding that in order to account for the for the observed $\cp$ violation in the neutral kaon sector a non-trivial flavour structure in the soft-breaking $A$ terms is required and that the upper bound on the lightest Higgs-boson mass becomes stronger. We also discuss the implications of electric dipole moments of the electron and the neutron in SUSY models with SCPV.

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arXiv2001

Spontaneous CP Violation in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model Revisited

We re-examine spontaneous CP violation at the tree level in the context of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM) with two Higgs doublets and a gauge singlet field. We analyse the most general Higgs potential without a discrete Z_3 symmetry, and derive an upper bound on the mass of the lightest neutral Higgs boson consistent with present experimental data. We investigate, in particular, its dependence on the admixture and CP-violating phase of the gauge singlet field, as well as on tan(beta). To assess the viability of the spontaneous CP violation scenario, we estimate epsilon_K by applying the mass insertion approximation. We find that a non-trivial flavour structure in the soft-breaking A terms is required to account for the observed CP violation in the neutral kaon sector. Furthermore, combining the minimisation conditions for spontaneous CP violation with the constraints coming from K0-K0bar mixing, we find that the upper bound on the lightest Higgs-boson mass becomes stronger. We also point out that the electric dipole moments of electron and neutron are a serious challenge for SUSY models with spontaneous CP violation.

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arXiv2001

The Symmetry behind Extended Flavour Democracy and Large Leptonic Mixing

We show that there is a minimal discrete symmetry which leads to the extended flavour democracy scenario constraining the Dirac neutrino, the charged lepton and the Majorana neutrino mass term ($M_R$) to be all proportional to the democratic matrix, with all elements equal. In particular, this discreet symmetry forbids other large contributions to $M_R$, such as a term proportional to the unit matrix, which would normally be allowed by a $S_{3L}\times S_{3R}$ permutation symmetry. This feature is crucial in order to obtain large leptonic mixing, without violating 't Hooft's, naturalness principle.

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arXiv2001

Neutrino Masses and Lepton Flavour Violation in Thick Brane Scenarios

We address the issue of lepton flavour violation and neutrino masses in the ``fat-brane'' paradigm, where flavour changing processes are suppressed by localising different fermion field wave-functions at different positions (in the extra dimensions) in a thick brane. We study the consequences of suppressing lepton number violating charged lepton decays within this scenario for lepton masses and mixing angles. In particular, we find that charged lepton mass matrices are constrained to be quasi-diagonal. We further consider whether the same paradigm can be used to naturally explain small Dirac neutrino masses by considering the existence of three right-handed neutrinos in the brane, and discuss the requirements to obtain phenomenologically viable neutrino masses and mixing angles. Finally, we examine models where neutrinos obtain a small Majorana mass by breaking lepton number in a far away brane and show that, if the fat-brane paradigm is the solution to the absence of lepton number violating charged lepton decays, such models predict, in the absence of flavour symmetries, that charged lepton flavour violation will be observed in the next round of rare muon/tau decay experiments.

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arXiv2001

Dynamical CP Violation and Flavour-Changing Processes

We investigate the phenomenological constraints on a model where, besides the standard model Higgs sector, there is an effective new strong interaction acting on the third generation of quarks and characterized by a $θ$-like term. This $θ$ term induces electroweak symmetry breaking and leads to dynamical spontaneous CP violation. We show that the constraints coming from K physics and the electric dipole moment of the neutron impose that the new physics scale should be of the order of 35 TeV. Contrary to naive expectations, the predictions of the model for B physics are very close to the standard model ones. The main differences appear in processes involving the up quarks such as $D^0-\bar{D}^0$ mixing and in the electric dipole moment of the neutron, which should be close to the experimental limit. Possible deviations from the standard model predictions for CP asymmetries in B decays are also considered.

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arXiv2001

Split Fermions in Extra Dimensions and CP Violation

We discuss CP violation in the quark sector within a novel approach to the Yukawa puzzle proposed by Arkani-Hamed and Schmaltz, where Yukawa hierarchies result from localising the Standard Model quark field wave-functions, at different positions (in the extra dimensions) in a ``fat-brane.'' We show that at least two extra dimensions are necessary in order to obtain sufficient CP violation while reproducing the correct quark mass spectrum and mixing angles.

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arXiv2000

Probing top flavour-changing neutral scalar couplings at the CERN LHC

Top decays into a light Higgs boson and an up or charm quark can reach detectable levels in Standard Model extensions with two Higgs doublets or with new exotic quarks, and in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Using both a standard and a neural network analysis we show that the CERN Large Hadron Collider will give 3 sigma evidence of decays with Br(t -> Hc) >= 6.5 10^-5 or set a limit Br(t -> Hc) <= 4.5 10^-5 with a 95% confidence level if these decays are not observed. We also consider limits obtained from single top production associated with a neutral Higgs boson.

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arXiv2000

Neutrino masses and mixing with seesaw mechanism and universal breaking of extended democracy

In the framework of a minimal extension of the SM, where the only additional fields are three right-handed neutrinos, we suggest that the charged lepton, the Dirac neutrino and the right-handed Majorana neutrino mass matrices are all, to leading approximation, proportional to the democratic matrix. With the further assumption that the breaking of this extended democracy is universal for all leptonic mass matrices, a large mixing in the 2-3 sector can be obtained and is linked to the seesaw mechanism, together with the existence of a strong hierarchy in the masses of right-handed neutrinos. The structure of the resulting effective mass matrix of light neutrinos is stable against the RGE evolution, and a good fit to all solar and atmospheric neutrino data is obtained.

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