arXiv subjects

Sacha Davidson

Publications and source records attributed to Sacha Davidson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

Leptogenesis and a Jarlskog Invariant

The relation between low energy CP violating phases, and the CP asymmetry of leptogenesis, $ε$, is investigated. Although it is known that in general those are independent, there may be a relation when a model is specified. We construct a Jarlskog invariant which is proportional to $ε$ if the right-handed neutrino masses are hierarchical. Since the invariant can be expressed in terms of left-handed neutrino parameters--some measurable, and some not--it is useful in identifying the limits in which $ε$ is related to MNS phases.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

From weak-scale observables to leptogenesis

Thermal leptogenesis is an attractive mechanism for generating the baryon asymmetry of the Universe. However, in supersymmetric models, the parameter space is severely restricted by the gravitino bound on the reheat temperature $T_{RH}$. For hierarchical light neutrino masses, it is shown that thermal leptogenesis {\it can} work when $T_{RH} \sim 10^{9} $ GeV. The low-energy observable consequences of this scenario are $ BR(τ\to \ell γ) \sim 10^{-8} - 10^{-9} $. For higher $T_{RH}$, thermal leptogenesis works in a larger area of parameter space, whose observable consequences are more ambiguous. A parametrisation of the seesaw in terms of weak-scale inputs is used, so the results are independent of the texture chosen for the GUT-scale Yukawa matrices.

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arXiv2002

Leptogenesis and rescattering in supersymmetric models

The observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe can be due to the $B-L$ violating decay of heavy right handed (s)neutrinos. The amount of the asymmetry depends crucially on their number density. If the (s)neutrinos are generated thermally, in supersymmetric models there is limited parameter space leading to enough baryons. For this reason, several alternative mechanisms have been proposed. We discuss the nonperturbative production of sneutrino quanta by a direct coupling to the inflaton. This production dominates over the corresponding creation of neutrinos, and it can easily (i.e. even for a rather small inflaton-sneutrino coupling) lead to a sufficient baryon asymmetry. We then study the amplification of MSSM degrees of freedom, via their coupling to the sneutrinos, during the rescattering phase which follows the nonperturbative production. This process, which mainly influences the (MSSM) $D-$flat directions, is very efficient as long as the sneutrinos quanta are in the relativistic regime. The rapid amplification of the light degrees of freedom may potentially lead to a gravitino problem. We estimate the gravitino production by means of a perturbative calculation, discussing the regime in which we expect it to be reliable.

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arXiv2002

Interpretations of the NuTeV $\sin^2 θ_W$

We summarize theoretical explanations of the three $σ$ discrepancy between $\sin^2 θ_W$ measured by NuTeV and predicted by the Standard Model global fit. Possible new physics explanations ({\it e.g.} an unmized $Z'$) are not compelling. The discrepancy would be reduced by a positive momentum asymmetry $s^-$ in the strange sea; present experimental estimates of $s^-$ are unreliable or incomplete. Upgrading the NuTeV analysis to NLO would alleviate concerns that the discrepancy is a QCD effect.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

Leptogenesis and low-energy phases

In supersymmetric models, the CP asymmetry produced in the decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino, $\equiv epsilon$, can be written as a function of weak scale parameters. We introduce a way of separating epsilon into contributions from the various weak-scale phases, and study the contribution of potentially measurable neutrino phases to leptogenesis. We find that the Majorana phase phi', which could have observable effects on neutrinoless double beta decay, is important for epsilon unless there are cancellations among phases. If the phase delta can be measured at a neutrino factory, then it contributes significantly to epsilon over much of parameter space.

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arXiv2002

A lower bound on the right-handed neutrino mass from leptogenesis

In the seesaw model, the baryon asymmetry of the Universe can be generated by the decay of the lightest right-handed neutrino, nu_R. For a hierarchical spectrum of right-handed neutrinos, we show that there is a model independent upper bound on the CP asymmetry produced in these decays: epsilon < 3 m_{nu_3} M_{nu_R}/(8 pi ^2). This implies that epsilon and the mass M_{nu_R} of the lightest right-handed neutrino are not independent parameters, as is commonly assumed. If m_{nu_3} = sqrt{Delta m^2_{atm}} and the nu_R are produced thermally, then leptogenesis requires a reheat temperature of the Universe T_{reh} > M_{nu_R} > 10^8 GeV. Reasonable estimates of nu_R production and the subsequent washout of the asymmetry, as made by Buchmuller and Plumacher, imply M_{nu_R} > 10^9 GeV, and T_{reh} > 10^{10} GeV. Implications for the gravitino problem are also discussed.

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arXiv2001

Neutrino masses and mixings in the MSSM with soft bilinear $R_p$ violation

We analyse a simple RPV extension of the MSSM, with bilinear R-parity violation in the soft terms and vevs, but not between the terms in the superpotential. The model gives two massive neutrinos, and can fit all constraints from neutrino data. We show analytically how to compute the lepton number violating Lagrangian parameters from neutrino masses and mixing angles. Conversely, we numerically vary the bilinear couplings as input parameters to determine the allowed ranges that are consistent with neutrino data. We briefly comment on the implications of our bounds for low energy LFV processes.

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arXiv2001

Determining See-Saw Parameters from Weak Scale Measurements?

The see-saw mechanism is a very attractive explanation for small neutrino masses, parametrized at the GUT scale by the right-handed Majorana mass matrix, ${\cal M}$, and the neutrino Yukawa matrix, ${\bf Y_ν}$. We show that in a SUSY model with universal soft terms, ${\cal M}$ and ${\bf Y_ν}$ can be calculated from the light neutrino masses, the MNS matrix, and ${\bf Y^{\dagger}_ν} {\bf Y_ν}$, which enters into the left-handed slepton radiative corrections. This suggests that in principle the GUT-scale inputs of the seesaw could be reconstructed from the neutrino and sneutrino mass matrices. We briefly discuss why this is impractical, but advocate the neutrino and sneutrino mass matrices as an alternative bottom-up parametrization of the seesaw.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2001

Comment on "Self-interacting Warm Dark Matter"

Hannestad and Scherrer analysed self-interacting Warm and Hot Dark Matter and found power spectra in disagreement with previous papers. We argue that they include self-interactions in a weak-coupling approximation, as for photons after recombination. The ``tightly coupled'' approximation used for pre-recombination photons, and previous discussions of self-interacting HMD, would have been more appropriate. Their approximation generates a Boltzmann hierarchy leading to a stiff system of equations. Furthermore contamination by gauge modes could invalidate their results.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Basis independent neutrino masses in the $R_p$ violating MSSM

We calculate the neutrino mass matrix up to one loop order in the MSSM without R-parity, including the bilinears in the mass insertion approximation. This introduces additional diagrams usually neglected in the literature. We systematically consider the possible new diagrams, and find a few missing from our previous work. We provide analytic expressions for the mass matrix elements in the neutrino flavour basis, which are independent of the $H_d - L_i$ basis choice in the Lagrangian. We compare the contributions from different diagrams, and make ``Lagrangian-basis-independent'' estimates of when the new diagrams need to be included. We briefly discuss the phenomenology of a toy model of bilinear R-parity violation.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Neutrino masses in the R-parity violating MSSM

We compute one loop neutrino masses in the R-parity violating Minimal Supersymmetric Model, including the bilinear R-parity violating masses in the mass insertion approximation. To the order we calculate, our results are independent of the Higgs-lepton basis choice. We have a variety of perturbative parameters-gauge, yukawa and trilinear couplings, and R_p violating masses. Their relative magnitudes determine which diagrams are relevant for neutrino mass calculations. We find new loop diagrams which can be relevant and have frequently been neglected in the past. For the Grossman-Haber neutral loop contribution to the neutrino mass matrix we obtain explicit analytic results.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Thermalisation after inflation

During (re)heating of the universe after inflation, the relativistic decay products of the inflaton field $ϕ$ must lose energy and additional particles must be produced to attain a thermalised state at a temperature $T_{\reh}$. We estimate the rate of energy loss via elastic and inelastic scattering interactions. Elastic scattering is an inefficient energy loss mechanism so inelastic processes, although higher order in the coupling $α$, can be faster because more energy is transfered. The timescale to produce a particle number density of ${\cal O}(T_{\reh}^3)$ is the inelastic energy loss timescale, $\sim(α^3 n_ϕ/T_{\reh}^2)^{-1}$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Updated Bounds on Milli-Charged Particles

We update the bounds on fermions with electric charge $εe$ and mass $m_ε$. For $m_ε\lsim m_e$ we find $10^{-15}\lsimε<1$ is excluded by laboratory experiments, astrophysics and cosmology. For larger masses, the limits are less restrictive and depend on $m_ε$. For milli-charged neutrinos, the limits are stronger, especially if the different flavors mix as suggested by current experimental evidence.

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arXiv2000

Baryogenesis at Low Reheating Temperatures

We note that the maximum temperature during reheating can be much greater than the reheating temperature $T_r$ at which the Universe becomes radiation dominated. We show that the Standard Model anomalous $(B+L)$-violating processes can therefore be in thermal equilibrium for 1 GeV $\simlt T_{r}\ll 100$ GeV. Electroweak baryogenesis could work and the traditional upper bound on the Higgs mass coming from the requirement of the preservation of the baryon asymmetry may be relaxed. Alternatively, the baryon asymmetry may be reprocessed by sphaleron transitions either from a $(B-L) $ asymmetry generated by the Affleck-Dine mechanism or from a chiral asymmetry between $e_R$ and $e_L$ in a $B-L = 0$ Universe. Our findings are also relevant to the production of the baryon asymmetry in large extra dimension models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1999

Dark Matter Abundance and Electroweak Baryogenesis in the CMSSM

The Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model has a candidate dark matter particle in its spectrum and may be able to generate the baryon asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) at the electroweak phase transition. In the Constrained MSSM, we find the area of parameter space which is allowed by accelerator and precision tests, which produces a relic dark matter abundance in the observationally favored window 0.1<Omega h^2<0.3, and where baryon plus lepton number violating processes are out of equilibrium after the electroweak phase transition.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Baryogenesis in Models with a Low Quantum Gravity Scale

We make generic remarks about baryogenesis in models where the scale $M_s$ of quantum gravity is much below the Planck scale. These correspond to M-theory vacua with a large volume for the internal space. Baryogenesis is a challenge, particularly for $M_s \lappeq 10^5$ GeV, because there is an upper bound on the reheat temperature of the Universe, and because certain baryon number violating operators must be suppressed. We discuss these constraints for different values of $M_s$, and illustrate with a toy model the possibility of using horizontal family symmetries to circumvent them.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Cosmological Constraints on B-L Violation

This is a review of the cosmological bounds on $B-L$ violating interactions, and the loopholes in the argument that gives these constraints. If one assumes that the baryon asymmetry we observe today was present above the electroweak phase transition in equilibrium with the non-perturbative $B+L$ violating processes, then interactions that violate all three of ${B/3 - L_i}$ cannot simultaneously be in equilibrium. Otherwise the baryon asymmetry would be washed out. Therefore violation of at least one of the $B/3 - L_i$ must be small. This argument can be evaded by not having the observed baryon asymmetry present in the thermal bath (for instance, make it at the electroweak phase transition), by using a non-standard cosmological model, or possibly by some mass effects in models where the difference between lepton flavour asymmetries is conserved.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Basis independent parametrisations of R parity violation in the soft SUSY breaking sector

The magnitude of R-parity violating coupling constants depends on which direction in the space of weak doublets with hypercharge = -2 corresponds to the Higgs. To address this ``basis dependence'', one can construct combinations of coupling constants that are invariant under these basis transformations, and which parametrise how much R parity violation is present in the Lagrangian (analogous to Jarlskog invariants for CP violation). This has previously been done for the Higgs vev and the R parity violating couplings constants in the superpotential. In this letter, I build invariants that include soft SUSY breaking interactions, and briefly discuss their relation to invariants involving the Higgs vev. This completes the construction of invariants based on the MSSM with baryon parity.

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