arXiv subjects

Lawrence J. Hall

Publications and source records attributed to Lawrence J. Hall.

123 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv1997

Neutrino physics from a U(2) flavor symmetry

We consider the neutrino physics of models with a sequentially broken U(2) flavor symmetry. Such theories yield the observed pattern of quark and lepton masses, while maintaining sufficient degeneracies between superparticles of the first two generations to solve the supersymmetric flavor problem. Neutrino mass ratios and mixing angles in these models may differ significantly from those of the charged leptons, even though the neutrinos and charged leptons transform identically under the flavor group. A wide class of well-motivated U(2) theories yield order one $ν_μ- ν_τ$ mixing, without a fine-tuning of parameters. These models provide a natural solution to the atmospheric neutrino deficit, and also have distinctive signatures at long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.

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arXiv1997

Consequences of a U(2) Flavour Symmetry

While solving the supersymmetric flavour problem, a U(2) flavour symmetry might be at the origin of the pattern of fermion masses and mixings. The consequences of this hypothesis are spelled out concerning the parameters of the CKM matrix and their observability in B- and K-physics. The relevance of searching for lepton flavour violation and for the electric dipole moments of the electron and the neutron is also emphasized.

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arXiv1996

Squarks in Tevatron Dilepton Events ?

We consider unusual events in the CDF and D0 dilepton+jets sample with very high ET(lepton) and ET(missing). It is possible, but very unlikely, that these events originate from top quark pair production; however, they have characteristics that are better accounted for by decays of supersymmetric quarks with mass in the region of 300 GeV.

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arXiv1996

A Multilepton signal for supersymmetric particles in Tevatron data?

The CDF and D0 collaborations have both reported unusual events in the dilepton+jets sample with very high lepton and missing transverse energies. It is possible, but very unlikely, that these events originate from top quark pair production; however, they have characteristics that are better accounted for by decays of supersymmetric quarks with mass in the region of 300 GeV: $\widetilde q \to q \widetilde χ$, $\widetildeχ\to ν\widetilde\ell$, $\widetilde\ell\rightarrow \ell \widetilde χ_1^0$. Such a supersymmetric origin also leads to events with large transverse missing energy and either 0, 1, 2 same-sign, or 3 isolated leptons.

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arXiv1996

Supersymmetric Framework for a Dynamical Fermion Mass Hierarchy

We propose a new framework for constructing supersymmetric theories of flavor, in which flavor symmetry breaking is triggered by the dynamical breakdown of supersymmetry at low energies. All mass scales in our scheme are generated from the supersymmetry breaking scale $Λ_{SSB} \approx 10^7$ GeV through radiative corrections. We assume a spontaneously broken flavor symmetry and the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism for generating the fermion Yukawa couplings. Supersymmetry breaking radiatively induces a vacuum expectation value for a scalar field, which generates invariant masses for the Froggatt-Nielsen fields at $M_F \approx 10^4$ GeV. `Flavon' fields $φ$, which spontaneously break the flavor symmetry, naturally acquire negative squared masses due to two-loop diagrams involving the Froggatt-Nielsen fields, and acquire vacuum expectation values of order $\langle φ\rangle \approx M_F/16π^2$. The fermion mass hierarchy arises in our framework as a power series in the ratio $\langle φ\rangle / M_F \approx 1/16π^2$.

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arXiv1996

The heavy top quark and supersymmetry

Three aspects of supersymmetric theories are discussed: electroweak symmetry breaking, the issues of flavor, and gauge unification. The heavy top quark plays an important, sometimes dominant, role in each case. Additional symmetries lead to extensions of the standard model which can provide an understanding for many of the outstanding problems of particle physics. A broken supersymmetric extension of spacetime allows electroweak symmetry breaking to follow from the dynamics of the heavy top quark; an extension of isospin provides a constrained framework for understanding the pattern of quark and lepton masses; and a grand unified extension of the standard model gauge group provides an elegant understanding of the gauge quantum numbers of the components of a generation. Experimental signatures for each of these additional symmetries are discussed.

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arXiv1996

A Supersymmetric Theory of Flavor and R Parity

We construct a renormalizable, supersymmetric theory of flavor and $R$ parity based on the discrete flavor group $(S_3)^3$. The model can account for all the masses and mixing angles of the Standard Model, while maintaining sufficient squark degeneracy to circumvent the supersymmetric flavor problem. By starting with a simpler set of flavor symmetry breaking fields than we have suggested previously, we construct an economical Froggatt-Nielsen sector that generates the desired elements of the fermion Yukawa matrices. With the particle content above the flavor scale completely specified, we show that all renormalizable $R$-parity-violating interactions involving the ordinary matter fields are forbidden by the flavor symmetry. Thus, $R$ parity arises as an accidental symmetry in our model. Planck-suppressed operators that violate $R$ parity, if present, can be rendered harmless by taking the flavor scale to be $\lesssim 8 \times 10^{10}$ GeV.

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arXiv1995

$(S_3)^3$ flavor symmetry and $p\to K^0 e^+$

We show how to incorporate the lepton sector in a supersymmetric theory of flavor based on the discrete flavor group $(S_3)^3$. Assuming that all possible nonrenormalizable operators are generated at the Planck scale, we show that the transformation properties of the leptons and of the flavor-symmetry breaking fields are uniquely determined. We then demonstrate that the model has a viable phenomenology and makes one very striking prediction: the nucleon decays predominantly to $K l$ where $l$ is a {\em first} generation lepton. We show that the modes $n \rightarrow K^0 \barν_e$, $p\rightarrow K^+ \barν_e$, and $p\rightarrow K^0 e^+$ occur at comparable rates, and could well be discovered simultaneously at the SuperKamiokande experiment.

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arXiv1995

A Geometry of the Generations

We propose a geometric theory of flavor based on the discrete group $(S_3)^3$, in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. The group treats three objects symmetrically, while making fundamental distinctions between the generations. The top quark is the only heavy quark in the symmetry limit, and the first and second generation squarks are degenerate. The hierarchical nature of Yukawa matrices is a consequence of a sequential breaking of $(S_3)^3$.

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arXiv1994

Yukawa Unification: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

We analyze some consequences of grand unification of the third-generation Yukawa couplings, in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. We address two issues: the prediction of the top quark mass, and the generation of the top-bottom mass hierarchy through a hierarchy of Higgs vacuum expectation values. The top mass is strongly dependent on a certain ratio of superpartner masses. And the VEV hierarchy always entails some tuning of the GUT-scale parameters. We study the RG equations and their semi-analytic solutions, which exhibit several interesting features, such as a focusing effect in the limit of certain symmetries and a correlation between the $A$ terms (which contribute to $b\rightarrow sγ$) and the gaugino masses. This study shows that non-universal soft-SUSY-breaking masses are favored (in particular for splitting the Higgs doublets via D-terms and for allowing more natural scenarios of symmetry breaking), and hints at features desired in Yukawa-unified models. Several phenomenological implications are also revealed.

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arXiv1994

The Top Quark Mass in Supersymmetric SO(10) Unification

The successful prediction of $\sin^2θ_W$ suggests that the effective theory beneath the GUT scale is the two-Higgs MSSM. If we further assume that the unified gauge group contains SO(10), that the two light Higgs doublets lie mostly in a single irreducible SO(10) representation, and that the $t$, $b$ and $τ$ masses originate in renormalizable Yukawa interactions of the form $16_3 O 16_3$, then also the top quark mass can be predicted in terms of the MSSM parameters. To compute $m_t$ we present a precise analytic approximation to the solution of the 2-loop renormalization group equations, and study supersymmetric and GUT threshold corrections and the input value of the $b$ quark mass. The large ratio of top to bottom quark masses derives from a large ratio, $\tanβ$, of Higgs vacuum expectation values. We point out that when $\tanβ$ is large, so are certain corrections to the $b$ quark mass prediction, unless a particular hierarchy exists in the parameters of the model. With such a hierarchy, which may result from approximate symmetries, the top mass prediction depends only weakly on the spectrum. Our results may be applied to any supersymmetric SO(10)-like model as long as $λ_t\simeq λ_b\simeqλ_τ$ at the GUT scale and there are no intermediate mass scales in the desert.

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arXiv1993

Hypercharge and the Cosmological Baryon Asymmetry

Stringent bounds on baryon and lepton number violating interactions have been derived from the requirement that such interactions, together with electroweak instantons, do not destroy a cosmological baryon asymmetry produced at an extremely high temperature in the big bang. While these bounds apply in specific models, we find that they are generically evaded. In particular, the only requirement for a theory to avoid these bounds is that it contain charged particles which, during a certain cosmological epoch, carry a non-zero hypercharge asymmetry. Hypercharge neutrality of the universe then dictates that the remaining particles must carry a compensating hypercharge density, which is necessarily shared amongst them so as to give a baryon asymmetry. Hence the generation of a hypercharge density in a sector of the theory forces the universe to have a baryon asymmetry.

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arXiv1993

On the generality of certain predictions for quark mixing

The relations ${ {|V_{ub}|} \over {|V_{cb}|} } = \sqrt{ { m_u \over m_c } }$ and ${ {|V_{td}|} \over {|V_{ts}|} } = \sqrt{ { m_d \over m_s } }$ are significant successes of some specific models for quark masses. We show that these relations are more general, resulting from a much wider class of models. Consequences of these predictions for CP violating asymmetries in neutral B meson decays are discussed.

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arXiv1993

Towards a theory of quark and lepton masses

Has any progress been made on understanding and predicting the 13 parameters which describe the observed masses and mixing angles of the quarks and leptons? Arguments are given in favor of pursuing schemes in which grand unified and family symmetries provide many relations among these 13 parameters. A sequence of simple assumptions leads to a supersymmetric SO(10) theory with 8 predictions: $\tan β, m_t, V_{cb}, m_s, m_s/m_d$, $m_u/m_d, V_{ub}$ and the amount of CP violation $J$. These predictions are presented, together with experiments which will test them.

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arXiv1992

Flavor changing interactions mediated by scalars at the weak scale

The quark and lepton mass matrices possess approximate flavor symmetries. Several results follow if the interactions of new scalars possess these approximate symmetries. Present experimental bounds allow these exotic scalars to have a weak scale mass. The Glashow-Weinberg criterion is rendered unnecessary. Finally, rare leptonic B meson decays provide powerful probes of these scalars, especially if they are leptoquarks.

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