arXiv subjects

S. T. Petcov

Publications and source records attributed to S. T. Petcov.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Leptogenesis and Low Energy CP Violation in Neutrino Physics

Taking into account the recent progress in the understanding of the lepton flavour effects in leptogenesis, we investigate in detail the possibility that the CP-violation necessary for the generation of the baryon asymmetry of the Universe is due exclusively to the Dirac and/or Majorana CP-violating phases in the PMNS neutrino mixing matrix U, and thus is directly related to the low energy CP-violation in the lepton sector (e.g., in neutrino oscillations, etc.). We first derive the conditions of CP-invariance of the neutrino Yukawa couplings lambda in the see-saw Lagrangian, and of the complex orthogonal matrix R in the ``orthogonal'' parametrisation of lambda. We show, e.g. that under certain conditions i) real R and specific CP-conserving values of the Majorana and Dirac phases can imply CP-violation, and ii) purely imaginary R does not necessarily imply breaking of CP-symmetry. We study in detail the case of hierarchical heavy Majorana neutrino mass spectrum, presenting results for three possible types of light neutrino mass spectrum: i) normal hierarchical, ii) inverted hierarchical, and iii) quasi-degenerate. Results in the alternative case of quasi-degenerate in mass heavy Majorana neutrinos, are also derived. The minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Theory with right-handed Majorana neutrinos and see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation is discussed as well. We illustrate the possible correlations between the baryon asymmetry of the Universe and i) the rephasing invariant J_CP controling the magnitude of CP-violation in neutrino oscillations, or ii) the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double beta decay, in the cases when the only source of CP-violation is respectively the Dirac or the Majorana phases in the neutrino mixing matrix.

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arXiv2006

Connecting Low Energy Leptonic CP-violation to Leptogenesis

It was commonly thought that the observation of low energy leptonic CP-violating phases would not automatically imply the existence of a baryon asymmetry in the leptogenesis scenario. This conclusion does not generically hold when the issue of flavour is relevant and properly taken into account in leptogenesis. We illustrate this point with various examples studying the correlation between the baryon asymmetry and the CP-violating asymmetry in neutrino oscillations and the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double beta decay.

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arXiv2006

Charged Lepton Decays L_i to L_j + gamma, Leptogenesis CP-Violating Parameters and Majorana Phases

We analyse the dependence of the rates of the LFV charged lepton decays mu to e + gamma, tau to e + gamma, tau to mu + gamma (l_i to l_j + gamma) and their ratios, predicted in the class of SUSY theories with see-saw mechanism of nu-mass generation and soft SUSY breaking with universal boundary conditions at the GUT scale, on the Majorana CP-violation phases in the PMNS neutrino mixing matrix and the ``leptogenesis'' CP-violating (CPV) parameters. The case of quasi-degenerate in mass heavy Majorana neutrinos is considered. The analysis is performed for normal hierarchical (NH), inverted hierarchical (IH) and quasi-degenerate (QD) light neutrino mass spectra. We show, in particular, that for NH and IH nu-mass spectrum and negligible lightest neutrino mass, all three l_i to l_j + gamma decay branching ratios, BR(l_i to l_j + gamma), depend on one Majorana phase, one leptogenesis CPV parameter and on the 3-neutrino oscillation parameters; if the CHOOZ mixing angle theta_13 is sufficiently large, they depend on the Dirac CPV phase in the PMNS matrix. The ``double ratios'' R(21/31) sim BR(mu to e + gamma)/BR(tau to e + gamma) and R(21/32) sim BR(mu to e + gamma)/BR(tau to mu + gamma) are determined by these parameters. The same Majorana phase enters into the NH and IH expressions for the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double beta decay, .

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arXiv2006

Solar Model Parameters and Direct Measurements of Solar Neutrino Fluxes

We explore a novel possibility of determining the solar model parameters, which serve as input in the calculations of the solar neutrino fluxes, by exploiting the data from direct measurements of the fluxes. More specifically, we use the rather precise value of the $^8B$ neutrino flux, $ϕ_B$ obtained from the global analysis of the solar neutrino and KamLAND data, to derive constraints on each of the solar model parameters on which $ϕ_B$ depends. We also use more precise values of $^7Be$ and $pp$ fluxes as can be obtained from future prospective data and discuss whether such measurements can help in reducing the uncertainties of one or more input parameters of the Standard Solar Model.

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arXiv2006

Precision measurement of solar neutrino oscillation parameters by a long-baseline reactor neutrino experiment in Europe

We consider the determination of the solar neutrino oscillation parameters $Δm^2_{21}$ and $θ_{12}$ by studying oscillations of reactor anti-neutrinos emitted by nuclear power plants (located mainly in France) with a detector installed in the Frejus underground laboratory. The performances of a water Cerenkov detector of 147 kt fiducial mass doped with 0.1% of Gadolinium (MEMPHYS-Gd) and of a 50 kt scale liquid scintillator detector (LENA) are compared. In both cases 3$σ$ uncertainties below 3% on $Δm^2_{21}$ and of about 20% on $\sin^2θ_{12}$ can be obtained after one year of data taking. The Gadolinium doped Super-Kamiokande detector (SK-Gd) in Japan can reach a similar precision if the SK/MEMPHYS fiducial mass ratio of 1 to 7 is compensated by a longer SK-Gd data taking time. Several years of reactor neutrino data collected by MEMPHYS-Gd or LENA would allow a determination of $Δm^2_{21}$ and $\sin^2θ_{12}$ with uncertainties of approximately 1% and 10% at 3$σ$, respectively. These accuracies are comparable to those that can be reached in the measurement of the atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters $Δm^2_{31}$ and $\sin^2θ_{23}$ in long-baseline superbeam experiments.

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arXiv2006

LFV radiative Decays and Leptogenesis in the SUSY seesaw model

The lepton flavour violating charged lepton decays mu to e + gamma and thermal leptogenesis are analysed in the minimal supersymmetric standard model with see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation and soft supersymmetry breaking terms with universal boundary conditions. Hierarchical spectrum of heavy Majorana neutrino masses, M_1 << M_2 << M_3, is considered. In this scenario, the requirement of successful thermal leptogenesis implies a lower bound on M_1. For the natural GUT values of the heaviest right-handed Majorana neutrino mass, M_3 > 5 times 10^{13} GeV, and supersymmetry particle masses in the few times 100 GeV range, the predicted mu to e + gamma decay rate exceeds by few order of magnitude the experimental upper limit. This problem is avoided if the matrix of neutrino Yukawa couplings has a specific structure. The latter leads to a correlation between the baryon asymmetry of the Universe predicted by leptogenesis, BR(mu to e + gamma) and the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double beta decay.

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arXiv2006

A Comment on the Measurement of Neutrino Masses in Beta-Decay Experiments

We discuss the physics potential of future tritium beta-decay experiments having a sensitivity to a neutrino mass ~\sqrt{|Δm^{2}_{23}|}~5x10^{-2} eV. The case of three-neutrino mixing is analised. A negative result of such an experiment would imply that the neutrino mass spectrum is of normal hierarchical type. The interpretation of a positive result would depend on the value of the lightest neutrino mass; if the lightest neutrino mass satisfies the inequality min(m_j) << \sqrt{|Δm^{2}_{23}|}, it would imply that the neutrino mass spectrum is of the inverted hierarchical type.

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arXiv2005

The Absolute Neutrino Mass Scale, Neutrino Mass Spectrum, Majorana CP-Violation and Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay

Assuming 3-$ν$ mixing, massive Majorana neutrinos and neutrinoless double-beta (\betabeta-) decay generated only by the (V-A) charged current weak interaction via the exchange of the three Majorana neutrinos, we briefly review the predictions for the effective Majorana mass $\meff$ in \betabeta-decay and reanalyse the physics potential of future \betabeta-decay experiments to provide information on the type of neutrino mass spectrum, the absolute scale of neutrino masses, and Majorana CP-violation in the lepton sector. Using as input the most recent experimental results on neutrino oscillation parameters and the prospective precision that can be achieved in future measurements of the latter, we perform a statistical analysis of a \betabeta-decay half-life measurement taking into account experimental and theoretical errors, as well as the uncertainty implied by the imprecise knowledge of the corresponding nuclear matrix element (NME). We show, in particular, how the possibility to discriminate between the different types of neutrino mass spectra and the constraints on the absolute neutrino mass scale depend on the mean value and the experimental error of $\meff$ and on the NME uncertainty. The constraints on Majorana CP-violation phases in the neutrino mixing matrix, which can be obtained from a measurement of $\meff$ and additional data on the sum of neutrino masses, are also investigated in detail. We estimate the required experimental accuracies on both types of measurements, and the required precision in the NME permitting to address the issue of Majorana CP-violation in the lepton sector.

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arXiv2005

Theory of Neutrinos: A White Paper

During 2004, four divisions of the American Physical Society commissioned a study of neutrino physics to take stock of where the field is at the moment and where it is going in the near and far future. Several working groups looked at various aspects of this vast field. The summary was published as a main report entitled ``The Neutrino Matrix'' accompanied by short 50 page versions of the report of each working group. Theoretical research in this field has been quite extensive and touches many areas and the short 50 page report provided only a brief summary and overview of few of the important points. The theory discussion group felt that it may be of value to the community to publish the entire study as a white paper and the result is the current article. After a brief overview of the present knowledge of neutrino masses and mixing and some popular ways to probe the new physics implied by recent data, the white paper summarizes what can be learned about physics beyond the Standard Model from the various proposed neutrino experiments. It also comments on the impact of the experiments on our understanding of the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe and the basic nature of neutrino interactions as well as the existence of possible additional neutrinos. Extensive references to original literature are provided.

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arXiv2005

Determining the Neutrino Mass Hierarchy with Atmospheric Neutrinos

The possibility to determine the type of neutrino mass hierarchy by studying atmospheric neutrino oscillations with a detector capable to distinguish between neutrino and antineutrino events, such as magnetized iron calorimeters, is considered. We discuss how the ability to distinguish between the neutrino mass spectrum with normal and inverted hierarchy depends on detector characteristics like neutrino energy and direction resolutions or charge miss-identification, and on the systematical uncertainties related to the atmospheric neutrino fluxes. We show also how the neutrino mass hierarchy determination depends on the true values of $θ_{13}$ and $θ_{23}$, as well as on the type of the true hierarchy. We find that for $μ$-like events, an accurate reconstruction of the energy and direction of the neutrino greatly improves the sensitivity to the type of neutrino mass spectrum. For $\sin^22θ_{13} \cong 0.1$ and a precision of 5% in the reconstruction of the neutrino energy and $5^\circ$ in the neutrino direction, the type of neutrino mass hierarchy can be identified at the 2$σ$ C.L. with approximately 200 events. For resolutions of 15% for the neutrino energy and $15^\circ$ for the neutrino direction roughly one order of magnitude larger event numbers are required. For a detector capable to distinguish between $ν_e$ and $\barν_e$ induced events the requirements on energy and direction resolutions are, in general, less demanding than for a detector with muon charge identification.

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arXiv2005

The See-Saw Mechanism, Neutrino Yukawa Couplings, LFV Decays l_i to l_j + gamma and Leptogenesis

The LFV charged lepton decays mu to e + gamma, tau to e + gamma and tau to mu + gamma and thermal leptogenesis are analysed in the MSSM with see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation and soft SUSY breaking with universal boundary conditions. The case of hierarchical heavy Majorana neutrino mass spectrum, M_1 << M_2 << M_3, is investigated. Leptogenesis requires M_1 > 10^9 GeV. Considering the natural range of values of the heaviest right-handed Majorana neutrino mass, M_3 > 5*10^{13} GeV, and assuming that the soft SUSY breaking universal gaugino and/or scalar masses have values in the range of few 100 GeV, we derive the combined constraints, which the existing stringent upper limit on the mu to e + gamma decay rate and the requirement of successful thermal leptogenesis impose on the neutrino Yukawa couplings, heavy Majorana neutrino masses and SUSY parameters. Results for the three possible types of light neutrino mass spectrum -- normal and inverted hierarchical and quasi-degenerate -- are obtained.

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arXiv2005

Majorana CP-Violating Phases, RG Running of Neutrino Mixing Parameters and Charged Lepton Flavour Violating Decays

We consider the MSSM with see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation and soft SUSY breaking with flavour-universal boundary conditions at the GUT scale, in which the lepton flavour violating (LFV) decays μ\to e + γ, τ\to μ+ γ, etc.,are predicted with rates that can be within the reach of present and planned experiments. These predictions depend critically on the matrix of neutrino Yukawa couplings \bf{Y_ν} which can be expressed in terms of the light and heavy right-handed (RH) neutrino masses, neutrino mixing matrix U_{PMNS}, and an orthogonal matrix \bf{R}. We investigate the effects of Majorana CP-violation phases in U_{PMNS}, and of the RG running of light neutrino masses and mixing angles from M_Z to the RH Majorana neutrino mass scale M_R, on the predictions for the rates of LFV decays μ\to e + γ, τ\to μ+ γand τ\to e + γ. Results for neutrino mass spectrum with normal hierarchy, values of the lightest ν-mass in the range 0 \leq m_1 \leq 0.30 eV, and quasi-degenerate heavy RH Majorana neutrinos in the cases of \bf{R} = \bf{1} and complex matrix \bf{R} are presented. We find that the effects of the Majorana CP-violation phases and of the RG evolution of neutrino mixing parameters can change by few orders of magnitude the predicted rates of the LFV decays μ\to e + γand τ\to e + γ. The impact of these effects on the τ\to μ+ γdecay rate is typically smaller and only possible for m_1 > 0.10 eV. If the RG running effects are negligible, in a large region of soft SUSY breaking parameter space the ratio of the branching ratios of the μ\to e + γand τ\to e + γ(τ\to μ+ γ) decays is entirely determined in the case of \bf{R} \cong \bf{1} by the values of the neutrino mixing parameters at M_Z.

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arXiv2005

High Precision Measurements of $θ_{\odot}$ in Solar and Reactor Neutrino Experiments

We discuss the possibilities of high precision measurement of the solar neutrino mixing angle $θ_\odot \equiv θ_{12}$ in solar and reactor neutrino experiments. The improvements in the determination of $\sin^2θ_{12}$, which can be achieved with the expected increase of statistics and reduction of systematic errors in the currently operating solar and KamLAND experiments, are summarised. The potential of LowNu $ν-e$ elastic scattering experiment, designed to measure the $pp$ solar neutrino flux, for high precision determination of $\sin^2θ_{12}$, is investigated in detail. The accuracy in the measurement of $\sin^2θ_{12}$, which can be achieved in a reactor experiment with a baseline $L \sim (50-70)$ km, corresponding to a Survival Probability MINimum (SPMIN), is thoroughly studied. We include the effect of the uncertainty in the value of $\sin^2θ_{13}$ in the analyses. A LowNu measurement of the $pp$ neutrino flux with a 1% error would allow to determine $\sin^2θ_{12}$ with an error of 14% (17%) at 3$σ$ from a two-generation (three-generation) analysis. The same parameter $\sin^2θ_{12}$ can be measured with an uncertainty of 2% (6%) at 1$σ$ (3$σ$) in a reactor experiment with $L \sim60 $ km, statistics of $\sim$60 GWkTy and systematic error of 2%. For the same statistics, the increase of the systematic error from 2% to 5% leads to an increase in the uncertainty in $\sin^2θ_{12}$ from 6% to 9% at 3$σ$. The inclusion of the $\sin^2θ_{13}$ uncertainty in the analysis changes the error on $\sin^2θ_{12}$ to 3% (9%). The effect of $\sin^2θ_{13}$ uncertainty on the $\sin^2θ_{12}$ measurement in both types of experiments is considerably smaller than naively expected.

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arXiv2005

Chizhov and Petcov Reply

We have found in [1] new conditions for a total neutrino conversion in the case of neutrino oscillations taking place in a medium, consisting of n = 2 (or 3) alternating layers with constant densities $N_1$ and $N_2$. It is claimed in [4] that our results are particular case of enhancement of neutrino oscillations, which was suggested earlier by other authors and was widely discussed in the literature. We refute these claims, confirming the novelty of our results.

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arXiv2005

Theoretical Prospects of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

The compelling experimental evidences for oscillations of solar and atmospheric neutrinos imply the existence of 3-neutrino mixing in vacuum. We briefly review the phenomenology of 3-neutrino mixing, and the current data on the 3-neutrino mixing parameters. The open questions and the main goals of future research in the field of neutrino mixing and oscillations are outlined. The predictions for the effective Majorana mass | | in neutrinoless double beta (bb0nu-) decay in the case of 3-neutrino mixing and massive Majorana neutrinos are reviewed. The physics potential of the experiments, searching for bb0nu-decay and having sensitivity approximately 10 times better than the presently reached, for providing information on the type of the neutrino mass spectrum, on the absolute scale of neutrino masses and on the Majorana CP-violation phases in the PMNS neutrino mixing matrix, is discussed.

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arXiv2005

Diffractive-Like (or Parametric-Resonance-Like?) Enhancement of the Earth (Day-Night) Effect for Solar Neutrinos Crossing the Earth Core

It is shown that the strong enhancement of the Earth (day-night) effect for solar neutrinos crossing the Earth core in the case of the small mixing angle MSW electron neutrino to muon (tau) neutrino transition solution of the solar neutrino problem is due to a new resonance effect in the solar neutrino transitions in the Earth and not just to the MSW effect in the core. The effect is in many respects similar to the electron paramagnetic resonance. The conditions for existence of this new resonance effect are discussed. They include specific constraints on the neutrino oscillation lengths in the Earth mantle and in the Earth core, thus the resonance is a ``neutrino oscillation length resonance''. The effect exhibits strong dependence on the neutrino energy. Analytic expression for the probability accounting for the solar neutrino transitions in the Earth, which provides a high precision description of the transitions, including the new resonance effect, is derived. The implications of our results for the searches of the day-night asymmetry in the solar neutrino experiments are briefly discussed. The new resonance effect is operative also in the muon neutrino to electron neutrino (electron neutrino to muon neutrino) transitions of atmospheric neutrinos crossing the Earth core.

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arXiv2005

Flavor Symmetry L_e - L_mu - L_tau, Atmospheric Neutrino Mixing and CP Violation in the Lepton Sector

The PMNS neutrino mixing matrix is given, in general, by the product of two unitary matrices associated with the diagonalization of the charged lepton and neutrino mass matrices, respectively. Assuming that the active flavor neutrinos possess a Majorana mass matrix which is diagonalized by a bimaximal mixing matrix, we give the allowed forms of the charged lepton mixing matrix and the corresponding implied forms of the charged lepton mass matrix. We further assume that the origin of bimaximal mixing is a weakly broken flavor symmetry of the neutrino Majorana mass matrix, corresponding to the conservation of the non-standard lepton charge L' = L_e - L_mu - L_tau. The latter does not predict, in general, the atmospheric neutrino mixing to be maximal. We study the impact of this fact on the allowed forms of the charged lepton mixing matrix and on the neutrino mixing observables, analyzing the case of CP nonconservation in detail. We find, in particular, that the allowed ranges of U_{e3} and of the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle are typically larger when one assumes L' conservation than in the case of exact initial bimaximal mixing. The atmospheric neutrino mixing can take any value inside its currently allowed range, while |U_{e3}|^2 can be as small as 0.007. We discuss under which conditions the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle can be larger or smaller than pi/4. We present also a simple see-saw realization of the implied light neutrino Majorana mass matrix and consider leptogenesis in this scenario.

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arXiv2004

Towards Complete Neutrino Mixing Matrix and CP-Violation

The compelling experimental evidences for oscillations of solar, atmospheric and reactor neutrinos imply the existence of 3-neutrino mixing in vacuum. We review the phenomenology of 3-neutrino mixing, and the current data on the 3-neutrino mixing parameters. The opened questions and the main goals of future research in the field of neutrino mixing and oscillations are outlined. A phenomenological approach for understanding the pattern of neutrino mixing as an interplay between the mixing, arising from the charged lepton sector, and bimaximal mixing, arising from a neutrino Majorana mass matrix, is considered with emphasis on the CP-violating case. We comment also on planned future steps in the experimental studies of neutrino mixing.

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