arXiv subjects

Pasquale Di Bari

Publications and source records attributed to Pasquale Di Bari.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2012

A fuller flavour treatment of N_2-dominated leptogenesis

We discuss N_2-dominated leptogenesis in the presence of flavour dependent effects that have hitherto been neglected, in particular the off-diagonal entries of the flavour coupling matrix that connects the total flavour asymmetries, distributed in different particle species, to the lepton and Higgs doublet asymmetries. We derive analytical formulae for the final asymmetry including the flavour coupling at the N_2-decay stage as well as at the stage of washout by the lightest right-handed neutrino N_1. Moreover, we point out that in general part of the electron and muon asymmetries (phantom terms), can completely escape the wash-out at the production and a total B-L asymmetry can be generated by the lightest RH neutrino wash-out yielding so called phantom leptogenesis. However, the phantom terms are proportional to the initial N_2 abundance and in particular they vanish for initial zero N_2-abundance. Taking any of these new effects into account can significantly modify the final asymmetry produced by the decays of the next-to-lightest RH neutrinos, opening up new interesting possibilities for N_2-dominated thermal leptogenesis.

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arXiv2011

Radiative Inflation and Dark Energy

We propose a model based on radiative symmetry breaking that combines inflation with Dark Energy and is consistent with the WMAP 7-year regions. The radiative inflationary potential leads to the prediction of a spectral index 0.955 \lesssim n_S \lesssim 0.967 and a tensor to scalar ratio 0.142 \lesssim r \lesssim 0.186, both consistent with current data but testable by the Planck experiment. The radiative symmetry breaking close to the Planck scale gives rise to a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson with a gravitationally suppressed mass which can naturally play the role of a quintessence field responsible for Dark Energy. Finally, we present a possible extra dimensional scenario in which our model could be realised.

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arXiv2011

Testing SO(10)-inspired leptogenesis with low energy neutrino experiments

We extend the results of a previous analysis of ours showing that, when both heavy and light flavour effects are taken into account, successful minimal (type I + thermal) leptogenesis with SO(10)-inspired relations is possible. Barring fine tuned choices of the parameters, these relations enforce a hierarchical RH neutrino mass spectrum that results into a final asymmetry dominantly produced by the next-to-lightest RH neutrino decays (N_2 dominated leptogenesis). We present the constraints on the whole set of low energy neutrino parameters. Allowing a small misalignment between the Dirac basis and the charged lepton basis as in the quark sector, the allowed regions enlarge and the lower bound on the reheating temperature gets relaxed to values as low as ~ 10^10 GeV. It is confirmed that for normal ordering (NO) there are two allowed ranges of values for the lightest neutrino mass: m_1 \simeq (1-5)\times 10^-3 eV and m_1\simeq (0.03-0.1) eV. For m_1\lesssim 0.01 eV the allowed region in the plane theta_13-theta_23 is approximately bounded by 44 + 3(theta_13-9) \lesssim theta_23 \lesssim 48 + 0.4 (theta_13-5), while the neutrinoless double beta decay effective neutrino mass falls in the range m_ee=(1-3)10^-3 eV for theta_13=(6 -11.5). For m_1 \gtrsim 0.01 eV, one has quite sharply m_ee\simeq m_1 and an upper bound theta_23 \lesssim 46 . These constraints will be tested by low energy neutrino experiments during next years. We also find that inverted ordering (IO), though quite strongly constrained, is not completely ruled out. In particular, we find approximately theta_23 \simeq 43 +12 log(0.2 eV/m_1), that will be fully tested by future experiments.

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arXiv2011

The problem of the initial conditions in flavoured leptogenesis and the tauon N_2-dominated scenario

We discuss the conditions to realize a scenario of strong thermal leptogenesis, where the final asymmetry is fully independent of the initial conditions, when both heavy and light flavor effects are taken into account. In particular the contribution to the final asymmetry from a residual initial pre-existing asymmetry has to be negligible. We show that in the case of a hierarchical right-handed (RH) neutrino mass spectrum, the only possible way is a N_2-dominated leptogenesis scenario with a lightest RH neutrino mass M_1 << 10^9 GeV and with a next-to-lightest RH neutrino mass 10^12 GeV >> M_2 >> 10^9 GeV. This scenario necessarily requires the presence of a heaviest third RH neutrino specie. Moreover, we show that the final asymmetry has to be dominantly produced in the tauon flavour while the electron and the muon asymmetries have to be efficiently washed out by the lightest RH neutrino inverse processes. Intriguingly, such seemingly special conditions for successful strong thermal leptogenesis are naturally fulfilled within SO(10)-inspired models. Besides the tauon N_2-dominated scenario, successful strong thermal leptogenesis is also achieved in scenarios with quasi-degenerate RH neutrino masses. We also comment on the supersymmetric case. We also derive an expression for the final asymmetry produced from leptogenesis taking fully into account heavy neutrino flavour effects in the specific case $M_1\gg 10^{12}\,{\rm GeV}$ (heavy flavoured scenario), a result that can be extended to any other mass pattern.

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arXiv2011

Developments in Leptogenesis

Latest developments in leptogenesis are reviewed with a particular emphasis on the proposals to test leptogenesis. We discuss in particular the important role played by light and heavy flavour effects in the determination of the final asymmetry and the attractive features of the N_2 dominated scenario.

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arXiv2009

Cold Dark Matter from heavy Right-Handed neutrino mixing

We show that, within the see-saw mechanism, an almost decoupled RH neutrino species N_DM with mass M_DM \gtrsim 100 GeV can play the role of Dark Matter (DM). The N_DM's can be produced from non-adiabatic conversions of thermalized (source) RH neutrinos with mass M_S lower than M_DM. This is possible if a non-renormalizable operator is added to the minimal type I see-saw lagrangian. The observed DM abundance can be reproduced for M_DM δ^{1/4} \sim 10^-13 Λ_eff ξ, where Λ_eff is a very high energy new physics scale, δ\equiv (M_DM-M_S)/M_DM and ξ\lesssim 1 is a parameter determined by the RH neutrino couplings.

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arXiv2008

New aspects of leptogenesis bounds

We present a general analysis that reveals new aspects of the leptogenesis bounds on neutrino masses and on the reheat temperature of the Universe. After revisiting a known effect coming from an unbounded term in the total CP asymmetry, we show that an unbounded term in the flavored CP asymmetries has a stronger impact. It relaxes the lower bound on the reheat temperature down to 10^8 GeV for (M_2-M_1)/M_1=O(1-100) and for a mild tuning of the parameters in the see-saw orthogonal matrix. We also consider the effect of the Higgs asymmetry, showing that it lowers the upper bound on the neutrino masses in the so-called fully flavored regime where classic Boltzmann equations can be used. Imposing independence of the initial conditions contributes to lower the upper bound on neutrino masses as well. We study the conditions for the validity of the usual N_1-dominated scenario and for the applicability of the lower bound on the lightest right-handed (RH) neutrino mass M_1. We find that except for the two effective RH neutrino scenario, recovered for M_3 >>10^14 GeV, and for values M_2 < O(10^11 GeV), the final asymmetry is more naturally dominated by the contribution from N_2-decays. Finally, we confirm in a general way that going beyond the hierarchical limit, the effect of washout addition makes the lower bound on M_1 more stringent for (M_2-M_1)/M_1=O(0.1).

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arXiv2008

Successful type I Leptogenesis with SO(10)-inspired mass relations

It is well-known that thermal leptogenesis through the decays of the lightest right-handed neutrinos encounters serious difficulties when SO(10)-inspired mass conditions are imposed on the Dirac neutrino mass matrix and light neutrino masses are generated through the type I see-saw mechanism. We show that these can be circumvented when the production from the next-to-lightest right-handed neutrinos and flavor effects are properly taken into account. Some conditions on the low energy parameters have to be satisfied in order for inverse processes involving the lightest right-handed neutrino not to wash-out the asymmetry. In particular we find m_1 \gtrsim 0.001 eV, where m_1 is the mass of the lightest left-handed neutrino and that non-vanishing values of the mixing angle theta_13 are preferred in the case of a normal fully hierarchical spectrum of light neutrinos.

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arXiv2008

Viability of Dirac phase leptogenesis

We discuss the conditions for a non-vanishing Dirac phase δand mixing angle θ_{13}, sources of CP violation in neutrino oscillations, to be uniquely responsible for the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe through leptogenesis. We show that this scenario, that we call δ-leptogenesis, is viable when the degenerate limit (DL) for the heavy right-handed (RH) neutrino spectrum is considered. We derive an interesting joint condition on \sinθ_{13} and the absolute neutrino mass scale that can be tested in future neutrino oscillation experiments. In the limit of hierarchical heavy RH neutrino spectrum (HL), we strengthen the previous result that δ-leptogenesis is only very marginally allowed, even when the production from the two heavier RH neutrinos is taken into account. An improved experimental upper bound on \sinθ_{13} and (or) an account of quantum kinetic effects could completely rule out this option in the future. Therefore, δ-leptogenesis can be also regarded as a motivation for models with degenerate heavy neutrino spectrum.

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arXiv2007

Flavor effects on leptogenesis predictions

Flavor effects in leptogenesis reduce the region of the see-saw parameter space where the final predictions do not depend on the initial conditions, the strong wash-out regime. In this case we show that the lowest bounds holding on the lightest right-handed (RH) neutrino mass and on the reheating temperature for hierarchical heavy neutrinos, do not get relaxed compared to the usual ones in the one-flavor approximation, M_1 (T_reh) \gtrsim 3 (1.5) x 10^9 GeV. Flavor effects can however relax down to these minimal values the lower bounds holding for fixed large values of the decay parameter K_1. We discuss a relevant definite example showing that, when the known information on the neutrino mixing matrix is employed, the lower bounds for K_1 \gg 10, are relaxed by a factor 2-3 for light hierarchical neutrinos, without any dependence on θ_13 and on possible phases. On the other hand, going beyond the limit of light hierarchical neutrinos and taking into account Majorana phases, the lower bounds can be relaxed by one order of magnitude. Therefore, Majorana phases can play an important role in leptogenesis when flavor effects are included.

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arXiv2007

Flavor effects in thermal leptogenesis

We review recent developments in leptogenesis on flavor effects. Their account discloses an important connection between the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe and CP violation at low energies. Besides, they modify the upper bound on the neutrino masses holding in the unflavored case. In this respect, it is important to identify the exact condition for flavor effects to be relevant and for the `fully flavored' Boltzmann equations to be valid.

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arXiv2006

Leptogenesis beyond the limit of hierarchical heavy neutrino masses

We calculate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe in thermal leptogenesis beyond the usual lightest right-handed (RH) neutrino dominated scenario (N_1DS) and in particular beyond the hierarchical limit (HL), M_1 << M_2 << M_3, for the RH neutrino mass spectrum. After providing some orientation among the large variety of models, we first revisit the central role of the N_1DS, with new insights on the dynamics of the asymmetry generation and then discuss the main routes departing from it, focusing on models beyond the HL. We study in detail two examples of `strong-strong' wash-out scenarios: one with `maximal phase' and the limit of very large M_3, studying the effects arising when delta_2=(M_2-M_1)/M_1 is small. We extend analytical methods already applied to the N_1DS showing, for example, that, in the degenerate limit (DL), the efficiency factors of the RH neutrinos become equal with the single decay parameter replaced by the sum. Both cases disprove the misconception that close RH neutrino masses necessarily lead to a final asymmetry enhancement and to a relaxation of the lower bounds on M_1 and on the initial temperature of the radiation-dominated expansion. We also explain why leptogenesis tends to favor normal hierarchy compared to inverted hierarchy for the left-handed neutrino masses.

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arXiv2005

Seesaw geometry and leptogenesis

The representation of the seesaw orthogonal matrix in the complex plane establishes a graphical correspondence between neutrino mass models and geometrical configurations, particularly useful to study relevant aspects of leptogenesis. We first derive the CP asymmetry bound for hierarchical heavy neutrinos and then an expression for the effective leptogenesis phase, determining the conditions for maximal phase and placing a lower bound on the phase suppression for generic models. Reconsidering the lower bounds on the lightest right-handed (RH) neutrino mass M_1 and on the reheating temperature T_reh, we find that models where one of the two heavier neutrino masses is dominated by the lightest right-handed (RH) neutrinos, typically arising from connections with quark masses, undergo both phase suppression and strong wash-out such that M_1 (T_reh)\gtrsim 10^{11} (10^{10}) GeV. The window 10^9 GeV \lesssim M_1,T_reh \lesssim 10^{10}GeV is accessible only for a class of models where m_1 is dominated by the lightest RH neutrino, with no straightforward connections with quark masses. Within this class we describe a new scenario of thermal leptogenesis where the baryon asymmetry of the Universe is generated by the decays of the second lightest RH neutrino, such that the lower bound on M_1 disappears and is replaced by a lower bound on M_2. Interestingly, the final asymmetry is independent on the initial conditions. We also discuss the validity of the approximation of hierarchical heavy neutrinos in a simple analytical way.

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arXiv1999

The $ν_μ\leftrightarrow ν_s$ interpretation of the atmospheric neutrino data and cosmological constraints

The data on atmospheric neutrinos can be explained assuming the existence of oscillations between muon neutrinos and light sterile neutrinos with mixing close to maximal, and Delta_m^2 approximately equal to 3 E-3 (eV^2). This interpretation of the data is in potential conflict with the successes of big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), since oscillations can result in a too large contribution of the sterile state to the energy density of the universe at the epoch of nucleosynthesis. The possibility to evade these cosmological constraints has been recently the object of some controversy. In this work we rediscuss this problem and find that the inclusion of a small mixing of the sterile state with tau neutrino can result in the generation of a large lepton asymmetry that strongly suppress the muon-sterile neutrino oscillations eliminating the possible conflict with BBN bounds. In this scheme the mass of the tau neutrino must be larger than few eV's and is compatible with cosmological bounds. Our calculation is performed using a Pauli-Boltzmann method. In this approach it is also possible to develop analytic calculations that allow physical insight in the processes considered and give support to the numerical results.

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