arXiv subjects

Stephen F. King

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen F. King.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Gauge-flavon unification

In this paper we propose the idea that flavons can emerge from extra dimensional gauge fields, referred to as gauge-flavon unification (GFU) analogous to gauge-Higgs unification (GHU). We assume that there is a gauged family symmetry in extra dimensions and that the flavons are the extra dimensional components of the gauge field. This provides a simple mechanism to align the VEVs of the flavons through a combination of Wilson lines and orbifold symmetry breaking. We present some simple 5d examples of GFU based on $SO(3)$ and $SU(4)$ gauged family symmetry, the latter case yielding $SU(3)\times U(1)$ gauged family symmetry in 4d, broken by triplet and antitriplet flavons, with effective couplings to fermions. We also present a general formalism for Wilson lines and orbifolds, in any number of dimensions, including non-commutative aspects Wilson lines, which may be useful for aligning additional flavons as required for realistic models.

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arXiv2020

$SU(5)$ Grand Unified Theory with $A_4$ Modular Symmetry

We present the first example of a grand unified theory (GUT) with a modular symmetry interpreted as a family symmetry. The theory is based on supersymmetric $SU(5)$ in 6d, where the two extra dimensions are compactified on a $T_2/\mathbb{Z}_2$ orbifold. We have shown that, if there is a finite modular symmetry, then it can only be $A_4$ with an (infinite) discrete choice of moduli, where we focus on $τ= ω=e^{i2π/3}$, the unique solution with $|τ|=1$. The fields on the branes respect a generalised CP and flavour symmetry $A_4\ltimes \mathbb{Z}_2$ which is isomorphic to $S_4$ which leads to an effective $μ-τ$ reflection symmetry at low energies, implying maximal atmospheric mixing and maximal leptonic CP violation. We construct an explicit model along these lines with two triplet flavons in the bulk, whose vacuum alignments are determined by orbifold boundary conditions, analogous to those used for $SU(5)$ breaking with doublet-triplet splitting. There are two right-handed neutrinos on the branes whose Yukawa couplings are determined by modular weights. The charged lepton and down-type quarks have diagonal and hierarchical Yukawa matrices, with quark mixing due to a hierarchical up-quark Yukawa matrix.

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arXiv2020

Trimaximal TM$_1$ mixing with two modular $S_4$ groups

We discuss a minimal flavour model with twin modular symmetries, leading to trimaximal TM$_1$ lepton mixing in which the first column of the tri-bimaximal lepton mixing matrix is preserved. The model involves two modular $S_4$ groups, one acting in the neutrino sector, associated with a modulus field value $τ_{SU}$ with residual $Z^{SU}_2$ symmetry, and one acting in the charged lepton sector, associated with a modulus field value $τ_{T}$ with residual $Z^{T}_3$ symmetry. Apart from the predictions of TM$_1$ mixing, the model leads to a new neutrino mass sum rule which implies lower bounds on neutrino masses close to current limits from neutrinoless double beta decay experiments and cosmology.

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arXiv2019

Flavon alignments from orbifolding: $SU(5)\times SU(3)$ model with $\mathbb{T}^6/Δ(54)$

We systematically develop the formalism necessary for ensuring that boundary conditions of flavon fields in extra dimensions are consistent with heterotic string theory. Having developed a set of consistency conditions on the boundary conditions, we explore a series of examples of orbifolds in various dimensions to see which ones can satisfy them. In addition we impose the further phenomenological requirements of having non-trivial flavon vacuum alignments and also of having quarks and leptons located appropriately in extra dimensions. The minimal successful case seems to be a 10d theory with a $SU(3)_{fl}$ gauged flavour symmetry, where the six-dimensional torus is compactified on a $\mathbb{T}^6/Δ(54)$ orbifold. We construct a realistic $SU(5)$ grand unified theory along these lines, leading to tribimaximal-reactor lepton mixing, which we show to be consistent with current neutrino data.

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arXiv2019

Modular $A_4$ Symmetry Models of Neutrinos and Charged Leptons

We present a comprehensive analysis of neutrino mass and lepton mixing in theories with $A_4$ modular symmetry, where the only flavon field is the single modulus field $τ$, and all masses and Yukawa couplings are modular forms. Similar to previous analyses, we discuss all the simplest neutrino sectors arising from both the Weinberg operator and the type I seesaw mechanism, with lepton doublets and right-handed neutrinos assumed to be triplets of $A_4$. Unlike previous analyses, we allow right-handed charged leptons to transform as all combinations of $\mathbf{1}$, $\mathbf{1}'$ and $\mathbf{1}''$ representations of $A_4$, using the simplest different modular weights to break the degeneracy, leading to ten different charged lepton Yukawa matrices, instead of the usual one. This implies ten different Weinberg models and thirty different type I seesaw models, which we analyse in detail. We find that fourteen models for both NO and IO neutrino mass ordering can accommodate the data, as compared to one in previous analyses, providing many new possibilities.

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arXiv2019

Starobinsky-like inflation and soft-SUSY breaking

We study a version of Starobinsky-like inflation in no-scale supergravity (SUGRA) where a Polonyi term in the hidden sector breaks supersymmetry (SUSY) after inflation, providing a link between the gravitino mass and inflation. We extend the theory to the visible sector and calculate the soft-SUSY breaking parameters depending on the modular weights in the superpotential and choice of Kähler potential. We are led to either no-scale SUGRA or pure gravity mediated SUSY breaking patterns, but with inflationary constraints on the Polonyi term setting a strict upper bound on the gravitino mass $m_{3/2} < 10^3$ TeV. Since gaugino masses are significantly lighter than $m_{3/2}$, this suggests that SUSY may be discovered at the LHC or FCC.

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arXiv2019

Matter density profile effects on neutrino oscillations at T2HK and T2HKK

This project aims to explore the effects that changes in a matter density profile could have on neutrino oscillations, and whether these could potentially be seen by the future Hyper-Kamiokande experiment (T2HK). The analysis is extended to include the possibility of having a second detector in Korea (T2HKK).

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arXiv2019

Littlest mu-tau seesaw

We propose a $μ-τ$ reflection symmetric Littlest Seesaw ($μτ$-LSS) model. In this model the two mass parameters of the LSS model are fixed to be in a special ratio by symmetry, so that the resulting neutrino mass matrix in the flavour basis (after the seesaw mechanism has been applied) satisfies $μ-τ$ reflection symmetry and has only one free adjustable parameter, namely an overall free mass scale. However the physical low energy predictions of the neutrino masses and lepton mixing angles and CP phases are subject to renormalisation group (RG) corrections, which introduces further parameters. Although the high energy model is rather complicated, involving $(S_4\times U(1))^2$ and supersymmetry, with many flavons and driving fields, the low energy neutrino mass matrix has ultimate simplicity.

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arXiv2019

Non-Minimal Flavour Violation in $A_4\times SU(5)$ SUSY GUTs

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arXiv2019

Muon anomalies and the $SU(5)$ Yukawa relations

We show that, within the framework of $SU(5)$ Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), multiple vector-like families at the GUT scale which transform under a gauged $U(1)'$ (under which the three chiral families are neutral) can result in a single vector-like family at low energies which can induce non-universal and flavourful $Z'$ couplings, which can account for the B physics anomalies in $R_{K^{(*)}}$. In such theories, we show that the same muon couplings which explain $R_{K^{(*)}}$ also correct the Yukawa relation $Y_e=Y_d^T$ in the muon sector without the need for higher Higgs representations. To illustrate the mechanism, we construct a concrete a model based on $SU(5)\times A_4 \times Z_3\times Z_7$ with two vector-like families at the GUT scale, and two right-handed neutrinos, leading to a successful fit to quark and lepton (including neutrino) masses, mixing angles and CP phases, where the constraints from lepton flavour violation require $Y_e$ to be diagonal.

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arXiv2019

Neutrino Mass and Mixing with $A_5$ Modular Symmetry

We present a comprehensive analysis of neutrino mass and lepton mixing in theories with $A_5$ modular symmetry. We construct the weight 2, weight 4 and weight 6 modular forms of level 5 in terms of Dedekind eta-functions and Klein forms, and their decomposition into irreducible representation of $A_5$. We construct all the simplest models based on $A_5$ modular symmetry, including scenarios of models with and without flavons in the charged lepton sectors. For each case, the neutrino masses can be generated through either the Weinberg operator or the type I seesaw mechanism. We perform an exhaustive numerical analysis, organising our results in an extensive set of figures and tables.

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arXiv2019

Non-minimal flavour violation in $A_4\times SU(5)$ SUSY GUTs with smuon assisted dark matter

We study CP-conserving non-minimal flavour violation in $A_4 \times SU(5)$ inspired Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), focussing on the regions of parameter space where dark matter is successfully accommodated due to a light right-handed smuon a few GeV heavier than the lightest neutralino. In this region of parameter space we find that some of the flavour-violating parameters are constrained by the requirement of the dark matter relic density, due to the delicate interplay between the smuon and neutralino masses. By scanning over GUT scale flavour violating parameters, constrained by low-energy quark and lepton flavour violating observables, we find a striking difference in the results in which individual parameters are varied to those where multiple parameters are varied simultaneously, where the latter relaxes the constraints on flavour violating parameters due to cancellations and/or correlations. Since charged lepton-flavour violation provides the strongest constraints within a GUT framework, due to relations between quark and lepton flavour violation, we examine in detail a prominent correlation between some of the flavour violating parameters at the GUT scale consistent with the stringent lepton flavour violating process $μ\rightarrow e γ$. We also examine the relation between GUT scale and low scale flavour violating parameters, for both quarks and leptons, and show how the usual expectations may be violated due to the correlations when multiple parameters are varied simultaneously.

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arXiv2019

New Weinberg operator for neutrino mass and its seesaw origin

We consider a new Weinberg operator for neutrino mass of the form $H_u\tilde{H_d}L_iL_j$ involving two different Higgs doublets $H_u, H_d$ with opposite hypercharge, where $\tilde{H_d}$ is the charge conjugated doublet. It may arise from a model where the two Higgs doublets carry the same charge under a $U(1)'$ gauge group which forbids the usual Weinberg operator but allows the mixed one. The new Weinberg operator may be generated via two right-handed neutrinos oppositely charged under the $U(1)'$, which may be identified as components of a fourth vector-like family in a complete model. Such a version of the type I seesaw model, which we refer to as type Ib to distinguish it from the usual type Ia seesaw mechanism which yields the usual Weinberg operator, allows the possibility of having potentially large violations of unitarity of the leptonic mixing matrix whose bounds we explore. We also consider the relaxation of the unitarity bounds due to the further addition of a single right-handed neutrino, neutral under $U(1)'$, yielding a usual type Ia seesaw contribution.

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arXiv2019

Origin of Yukawa couplings for Higgs and leptoquarks

We propose a model in which the Yukawa couplings of Higgs doublets are related to the couplings of the chiral fermions to a scalar leptoquark triplet. This is due to their common origin via mixing with a vector-like family distinguished by a discrete $Z_5$ symmetry, under which only the three chiral families are neutral. The model predicts lepton non-universality in $B$ to $K$ decays, depending on the leptoquark mass, $V_{ts}$ and $m_μ/m_τ$. The model can only consistently explain the anomalies in $R_{K^{(*)}}$ for a leptoquark mass close to the collider lower bound of about $1~\text{TeV}$. Constraints from $B_s - \bar{B}_s$ mixing and eventually $τ\to μγ$ become relevant for low leptoquark masses and large couplings, while $μ\to e γ$ remains automatically under control due to the absence of leptoquark couplings to the electron in this model.

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arXiv2019

Unification, Proton Decay and Topological Defects in non-SUSY GUTs with Thresholds

We calculate the proton lifetime and discuss topological defects in a wide class of non-supersymmetric (non-SUSY) $SO(10)$ and $E(6)$ Grand Unified Theories (GUTs), broken via left-right subgroups with one or two intermediate scales (a total of 9 different scenarios with and without D-parity), including the important effect of threshold corrections. By performing a goodness of fit test for unification using the two-loop renormalisation group evolution equations (RGEs), we find that the inclusion of threshold corrections significantly affects the proton lifetime, allowing several scenarios, which would otherwise be excluded, to survive. Indeed we find that the threshold corrections are a saviour for many non-SUSY GUTs. For each scenario we analyse the homotopy of the vacuum manifold to estimate the possible emergence of topological defects.

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arXiv2018

Spontaneous breaking of $SO(3)$ to finite family symmetries with supersymmetry - an $A_4$ model

We discuss the breaking of $SO(3)$ down to finite family symmetries such as $A_4$, $S_4$ and $A_5$ using supersymmetric potentials for the first time. We analyse in detail the case of supersymmetric $A_4$ and its finite subgroups $Z_3$ and $Z_2$. We then propose a supersymmetric $A_4$ model of leptons along these lines, originating from $SO(3)\times U(1)$, which leads to a phenomenologically acceptable pattern of lepton mixing and masses once subleading corrections are taken into account. We also discuss the phenomenological consequences of having a gauged $SO(3)$, leading to massive gauge bosons, and show that all domain wall problems are resolved in this model.

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arXiv2018

Dark side of the Seesaw

In an attempt to unfold (if any) a possible connection between two apparently uncorrelated sectors, namely neutrino and dark matter, we consider the type-I seesaw and a fermion singlet dark matter to start with. Our construction suggests that there exists a scalar field mediator between these two sectors whose vacuum expectation value not only generates the mass of the dark matter, but also takes part in the neutrino mass generation. While the choice of $Z_4$ symmetry allows us to establish the framework, the vacuum expectation value of the mediator field breaks $Z_4$ to a remnant $Z_2$, that is responsible to keep dark matter stable. Therefore, the observed light neutrino masses and relic abundance constraint on the dark matter, allows us to predict the heavy seesaw scale as illustrated in this paper.The methodology to connect dark matter and neutrino sector, as introduced here, is a generic one and can be applied to other possible neutrino mass generation mechanism and different dark matter candidate(s).

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arXiv2018

Tri-Direct CP in the Littlest Seesaw Playground

We discuss spontaneously broken CP symmetry in two right-handed neutrino models based on the idea of having a {\it different residual flavour symmetry}, together with a {\it different residual CP symmetry}, associated with each of the two right-handed neutrinos. The charged lepton sector also has a {\it different residual flavour symmetry}. In such a {\it tri-direct CP approach}, we show that the combination of the three residual flavour and two residual CP symmetries provides a new way of fixing the parameters. To illustrate the approach, we revisit the Littlest Seesaw (LSS) model based on $S_4$ and then propose new variants which have not so far appeared in the literature, with different predictions for each variant. We analyse numerically the predictions of the new variants, and then propose an explicit model which can realise one of the successful benchmark points, based on the atmospheric flavon vacuum alignment $(1, ω^2 , ω)$ and the solar flavon vacuum alignment $(1, -7/2, -7/2 )$.

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