arXiv subjects

M. L. López-Ibáñez

Publications and source records attributed to M. L. López-Ibáñez.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Flavon vacuum alignment beyond SUSY

In flavor models the vacuum alignment of flavons is typically achieved via the $F$-terms of certain fields in the supersymmetric limit. We propose a method for preserving such alignments, up to a rescaling of the vacuum expectation values, even after supersymmetry (and the flavor symmetry) are softly broken, facilitating the vacuum alignment in models which are non-supersymmetric at low energies. Examples of models with different flavor groups, namely $A_4$, $T_7$, $S_4$ and $Δ(27)$, are discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Anomaly-free ALP from non-Abelian flavor symmetry

Motivated by the Xenon1T excess in electron-recoil measurements, we investigate the prospects of probing axion-like particles (ALP) in lepton flavor violation experiments. In particular, we identify such ALP as a pseudo-Goldstone from the spontaneous breaking of the flavor symmetries that explain the mixing structure of the Standard Model leptons. We present the case of the flavor symmetries being a non-Abelian U(2) and the ALP originating from its U(1) subgroup, which is anomaly-free with the Standard Model group. We build two explicit realistic examples that reproduce leptonic masses and mixings and show that the ALP which is consistent with Xenon1T anomaly could be probed by the proposed LFV experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Constraining Low-Scale Flavor Models with $\boldsymbol{(g-2)_μ}$ and Lepton Flavor Violation

We present here two concrete examples of models where a sub-TeV scale breaking of their respective $\mathcal{T}_{13}$ and $A_5$ flavor symmetries is able to account for the recently observed discrepancy in the muon anomalous magnetic moment, $(g-2)_μ$. Similarities in the flavor structures of the charged-lepton Yukawa matrix and dipole matrix yielding $(g-2)_μ$ give rise to strong constraints on low-scale flavor models when bounds from lepton flavor violation (LFV) are imposed. These constraints place stringent limits on the off-diagonal Yukawa structure, suggesting a mostly (quasi-)diagonal texture for models with a low flavor breaking scale $Λ_f$. We argue that many of the popular flavor models in the literature designed to explain the fermion masses and mixings are not suitable for reproducing the observed discrepancy in $(g-2)_μ$, which requires a delicate balance of maintaining a low flavor scale while simultaneously satisfying strong LFV constraints.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Implications of the Muon g-2 result on the flavour structure of the lepton mass matrix

The confirmation of the discrepancy with the Standard Model predictions in the anomalous magnetic moment by the Muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab points to a low scale of new physics. Flavour symmetries broken at low energies can account for this discrepancy but these models are much more restricted, as they would also generate off-diagonal entries in the dipole moment matrix. Therefore, if we assume that the observed discrepancy in the muon $g-2$ is explained by the contributions of a low-energy flavor symmetry, lepton flavour violating processes can constrain the structure of the lepton mass matrices and therefore the flavour symmetries themselves predicting these structures. We apply these ideas to several discrete flavour symmetries popular in the leptonic sector, such as $Δ(27)$, $A_4$, and $A_5 \ltimes {\rm CP}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Controlled fermion mixing and FCNCs in a $Δ(27)$ 3+1 Higgs Doublet Model

We propose a 3+1 Higgs Doublet Model based on the $Δ(27)$ family symmetry supplemented by several auxiliary cyclic symmetries leading to viable Yukawa textures for the Standard Model fermions, consistent with the observed pattern of fermion masses and mixings. The charged fermion mass hierarchy and the quark mixing pattern is generated by the spontaneous breaking of the discrete symmetries due to flavons that act as Froggatt-Nielsen fields. The tiny neutrino masses arise from a radiative seesaw mechanism at one loop level, thanks to a preserved $Z_2^{\left( 1\right)}$ discrete symmetry, which also leads to stable scalar and fermionic dark matter candidates. The leptonic sector features the predictive cobimaximal mixing pattern, consistent with the experimental data from neutrino oscillations. For the scenario of normal neutrino mass hierarchy, the model predicts an effective Majorana neutrino mass parameter in the range $3$~meV$\lesssim m_{ββ}\lesssim$ $18$ meV, which is within the declared range of sensitivity of modern experiments. The model predicts Flavour Changing Neutral Currents which constrain the model, for instance Kaon mixing and $μ\to e$ nuclear conversion processes, the latter which are found to be within the reach of the forthcoming experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Lepton flavour violation from an anomaly-free leptophilic axion-like particle

Motivated by the recent Xenon1T result, we study a leptophilic flavour-dependent anomaly-free axion-like particle (ALP) and its effects on charged-lepton flavour violation (CLFV). We present two representative models. The first one considers that the ALP origins from the flavon that generates the charged-lepton masses. The second model assumes a larger flavour symmetry such that more general mixings in the charged-lepton are possible, while maintaining flavour-dependent ALP couplings. We find that a keV ALP explaining the Xenon1T result is still viable for lepton flavour violation and stellar cooling astrophysical limits. On the other hand, if the Xenon1T result is confirmed, future CLFV measurements can be complementary to probe such a possibility.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Muon and electron $g-2$ and lepton masses in flavor models

The stringent experimental bound on $μ\rightarrow e γ$ is compatible with a simultaneous and sizable new physics contribution to the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments $(g-2)_\ell$ ($\ell=e,\,μ$), only if we assume a non-trivial flavor structure of the dipole operator coefficients. We propose a mechanism in which the realization of the $(g-2)_\ell$ correction is manifestly related to the mass generation through a flavor symmetry. A radiative flavon correction to the fermion mass gives a contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment. In this framework, we introduce a chiral enhancement from a non-trivial $\mathcal{O}(1)$ quartic coupling of the scalar potential. We show that the muon and electron anomalies can be simultaneously explained in a vast region of the parameter space with predicted vector-like mediators of masses as large as $M_χ\in [0.6,2.5]$~TeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

LFV and g-2 in non-universal SUSY models with light higgsinos

We consider a supersymmetric type-I seesaw framework with non-universal scalar masses at the GUT scale to explain the long-standing discrepancy of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We find that it is difficult to accommodate the muon g-2 while keeping charged-lepton flavor violating processes under control for the conventional SO(10)-based relation between the up sector and neutrino sector. However, such tension can be relaxed by adding a Georgi-Jarlskog factor for the Yukawa matrices, which requires a non-trivial GUT-based model. In this model, we find that both observables are compatible for small mixings, CKM-like, in the neutrino Dirac Yukawa matrix.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Dirac dark matter in $U(1)_{B-L}$ with Stueckelberg mechanism

We investigate a $U(1)_{B-L}$ gauge extension of the Standard Model (SM) where the gauge boson mass is generated by the Stueckelberg mechanism. Three right-handed neutrinos are added to cancel the gauge anomaly and hence the neutrino masses can be explained. A new Dirac fermion could be a WIMP dark matter whose interaction with the SM sector is mediated by the new gauge boson. Assuming the perturbativity of the gauge coupling up to the Planck scale, we find that only the resonance region is feasible for the dark matter abundance. After applying the $ΔN_{eff}$ constraints from the current Planck experiment, the collider search constraints as well as the dark matter direct detection limits, we observe that the $B-L$ charge of dark matter satisfies $|Q_χ|>0.11$. Such a scenario might be probed conclusively by the projected CMB-S4 experiment, assuming the right-handed neutrinos are thermalized with the SM sector in the early universe.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Lepton Flavor Violation and Neutrino Masses from $A_5$ and CP in the Non-Universal MSSM

We analyze the phenomenological consequences of embedding a flavor symmetry based on the groups $A_5$ and CP in a supersymmetric framework. We concentrate on the leptonic sector, where two different residual symmetries are assumed to be conserved at LO for charged and neutral leptons. All possible realizations to generate neutrino masses at tree level are investigated. Sizable flavor violating effects in the charged lepton sector are unavoidable due to the non-universality of soft-breaking terms determined by the symmetry. We derive testable predictions for the neutrino spectrum, lepton mixing and flavor changing processes with non-trivial relations among observables.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Leptogenesis in $Δ(27)$ with a Universal Texture Zero

We investigate the possibility of viable leptogenesis in an appealing $Δ(27)$ model with a universal texture zero in the (1,1) entry. The model accommodates the mass spectrum, mixing and CP phases for both quarks and leptons and allows for grand unification. Flavoured Boltzmann equations for the lepton asymmetries are solved numerically, taking into account both $N_1$ and $N_2$ right-handed neutrino decays. The $N_1$-dominated scenario is successful and the most natural option for the model, with $M_1 \in [10^9, 10^{12}]$ GeV, and $M_1/M_2 \in [0.002, 0.1]$, which constrains the parameter space of the underlying model and yields lower bounds on the respective Yukawa couplings. Viable leptogenesis is also possible in the $N_2$-dominated scenario, with the asymmetry in the electron flavour protected from $N_1$ washout by the texture zero. However, this occurs in a region of parameter space which has a stronger mass hierarchy $M_1/M_2 < 0.002 $, and $M_2$ relatively close to $M_3$, which is not a natural expectation of the $Δ(27)$ model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Neutrino masses and lepton mixing from $A_5\times{\rm CP}$

We analyse in detail the phenomenological implications for lepton masses and mixing derived by the breaking of the discrete symmetries $A_5 \times CP$ into the subgroups $Z_2 \times CP$ in the neutrino sector and $Z_5$ in the charged lepton sector. We derive accurate analytic expressions for the sum of the neutrino masses $Σ_i m_i$ as well as for the effective Majorana masses $m_β$ and $m_{ββ}$ under different hypotheses for the flavon vevs and compare them with the exact numerical results obtained from the diagonalization of the neutrino mass matrix.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Controlled flavor violation in the MSSM from a unified $Δ(27)$ flavor symmetry

We study the phenomenology of a unified supersymmetric theory with a flavor symmetry $Δ(27)$. The model accommodates quark and lepton masses, mixing angles and CP phases. In this model, the Dirac and Majorana mass matrices have a unified texture zero structure in the $(1,1)$ entry that leads to the Gatto-Sartori-Tonin relation between the Cabibbo angle and ratios of the masses in the quark sectors, and to a natural departure from zero of the $θ_{13}^\ell$ angle in the lepton sector. We derive the flavor structures of the trilinears and soft mass matrices, and show their general non-universality. This causes large flavor violating effects. As a consequence, the parameter space for this model is constrained, allowing it to be (dis)proven by flavor violation searches in the next decade. Although the results are model specific, we compare them to previous studies to show similar flavour effects (and associated constraints) are expected in general in supersymmetric flavor models, and may be used to distinguish them.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Effective Theories of Flavor and the Non-Universal MSSM

Flavor symmetries à la Froggatt-Nielsen~(FN) provide a compelling way to explain the hierarchies of fermionic masses and mixing angles in the Yukawa sector. In Supersymmetric~(SUSY) extensions of the Standard Model where the mediation of SUSY breaking occurs at scales larger than the breaking of flavor, this symmetry must be respected not only by the Yukawas of the superpotential, but by the soft-breaking masses and trilinear terms as well. In this work we show that contrary to naive expectations, even starting with completely flavor blind soft-breaking in the full theory at high scales, the low-energy sfermion mass matrices and trilinear terms of the effective theory, obtained upon integrating out the heavy mediator fields, are strongly non-universal. We explore the phenomenology of these SUSY flavor models after the latest LHC searches for new physics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Flavour-changing Higgs decays into bottom and strange quarks in supersymmetry

In this work, we explore the flavour changing decays $H_i \to b s$ in a general supersymmetric scenario. In these models, the flavour changing decays arise at loop-level but, originating from a dimension-four operator, do not decouple and may provide a first sign of new physics for heavy masses beyond collider reach. In the framework of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM), we find that the largest branching ratio of the lightest Higgs ($H_1$) is ${\cal O}(10^{-6})$ after imposing present experimental constraints. While heavy Higgs states may still present branching ratios ${\cal O}(10^{-3})$. In a more general supersymmetric scenario, where additional Higgs states may modify the Higgs mixings, the branching ratio BR($H_1 \to b s$) can reach values ${\cal O}(10^{-4})$ , while heavy Higgses still remain at ${\cal O}(10^{-3})$. Although these values are clearly out of reach for the LHC, a full study in a linear collider environment could be worth pursuing.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Improved $τ$-weapons for Higgs hunting

In this work, we use the results from Higgs searches in the $γγ$ and $ττ$ decay channels at LHC and indirect bounds as BR$(B \to X_s γ)$ to constrain the parameter space of a generic MSSM Higgs sector. In particular, we include the latest CMS results that look for additional Higgs states with masses up to 1 TeV. We show that the $ττ$ channel is the best and most accurate weapon in the hunt for new Higgs states beyond the Standard Model. We obtain that present experimental results rule out additional neutral Higgs bosons in a generic MSSM below 300 GeV for any value of $\tan β$ and, for instance, values of $\tan β$ above 30 are only possible for Higgs masses above 600 GeV. ATLAS stored data has the potential to render this bound obsolete in the near future.

hep-ph↗