arXiv subjects

V. Barger

Publications and source records attributed to V. Barger.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Non-Canonical Gauge Coupling Unification in High-Scale Supersymmetry Breaking

The string landscape suggests that the supersymmetry breaking scale can be high, and then the simplest low energy effective theory is the Standard Model (SM). Considering grand unification scale supersymmetry breaking, we show that gauge coupling unification can be achieved at about 10^{16-17} GeV in the SM with suitable normalizations of the U(1)_Y, and we predict that the Higgs mass range is 127 GeV to 165 GeV, with the precise value strongly correlated with the top quark mass m_t and SU(3)_C gauge coupling. For example, if m_t=178\pm1 GeV, the Higgs boson mass is predicted to be between 141 GeV and 154 GeV. We also point out that gauge coupling unification in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) does not imply the canonical U(1)_Y normalization. In addition, we present 7-dimensional orbifold grand unified theories (GUTs) in which such normalizations for the U(1)_Y and charge quantization can be realized. The supersymmetry can be broken at the grand unification scale by the Scherk--Schwarz mechanism. We briefly comment on a non-canonical U(1)_Y normalization due to the brane localized gauge kinetic terms in orbifold GUTs.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Gauge Coupling Unification in the Standard Model

The string landscape suggests that the supersymmetry breaking scale can be high, and then the simplest low energy effective theory is the Standard Model (SM). We show that gauge coupling unification can be achieved at about 10^{16-17} GeV in the SM with suitable normalizations of the U(1)_Y. Assuming grand unification scale supersymmetry breaking, we predict that the Higgs mass range is 127 GeV to 165 GeV, with the precise value strongly correlated with the top quark mass and SU(3)_C gauge coupling. We also present 7-dimensional orbifold grand unified theories in which such normalizations for the U(1)_Y and charge quantization can be realized.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Neutrino physics from new SNO and KamLAND data and future prospects

We analyze the cumulative data from the latest SNO, KamLAND and other solar neutrino experiments in the standard scenario of three oscillating active neutrinos. We determine the solar neutrino oscillation parameters and obtain new bounds on $θ_x$. We also place constraints on the fraction of oscillating solar neutrinos that transform to sterile neutrinos with the $^8$B flux normalization left free. Concomitantly, we assess the sensitivity of future data from the SNO and KamLAND experiments to $θ_x$ and to the sterile neutrino content of the solar flux.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

The Neutrino Factory and Beta Beam Experiments and Development

The long-term prospects for fully exploring three-flavor mixing in the neutrino sector depend upon an ongoing and increased investment in the appropriate accelerator R&D. Two new concepts have been proposed that would revolutionize neutrino experiments, namely the Neutrino Factory and the Beta Beam facility. These new facilities would dramatically improve our ability to test the three-flavor mixing framework, measure \textsl{CP} violation in the lepton sector, and perhaps determine the neutrino mass hierarchy, and, if necessary, probe extremely small values of the mixing angle $θ_{13}$. The stunning sensitivity that could be achieved with a Neutrino Factory is described, together with our present understanding of the corresponding sensitivity that might be achieved with a Beta Beam facility. In the Beta Beam case, additional study is required to better understand the optimum Beta Beam energy, and the achievable sensitivity. Neither a Neutrino Factory nor a Beta Beam facility could be built without significant R&D. An impressive Neutrino Factory R&D effort has been ongoing in the U.S. and elsewhere over the last few years and significant progress has been made towards optimizing the design, developing and testing the required accelerator components, and significantly reducing the cost. The recent progress is described here.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2004

Axion Models with High-Scale Supersymmetry Breaking

Inspired by the possibility of high-scale supersymmetry breaking in the string landscape where the cosmological constant problem and the gauge hierarchy problem can be solved while the strong CP problem is still a challenge for naturalness, we propose a supersymmetric KSVZ axion model with an approximate universal intermediate-scale ($\sim 10^{11}$ GeV) supersymmetry breaking. To protect the global Peccei--Quinn (PQ) symmetry against quantum gravitational violation, we consider the gauged discrete $Z_N$ PQ symmetry. In our model the axion can be a cold dark matter candidate, and the intermediate supersymmetry breaking scale is directly related to the PQ symmetry breaking scale. Gauge coupling unification can be achieved at about $2.7\times 10^{16}$ GeV. The Higgs mass range is 130 GeV to 160 GeV. We briefly discuss other axion models with high-scale supersymmetry breaking where the stabilization of the axion solution is similar.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

Neutral currents and tests of three-neutrino unitarity in long-baseline experiments

We examine a strategy for using neutral current measurements in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments to put limits on the existence of more than three light, active neutrinos. We determine the relative contributions of statistics, cross section uncertainties, event misidentification and other systematic errors to the overall uncertainty of these measurements. As specific case studies, we make simulations of beams and detectors that are like the K2K, T2K, and MINOS experiments. We find that the neutral current cross section uncertainty and contamination of the neutral current signal by charge current events allow a sensitivity for determining the presence of sterile neutinos at the 0.10--0.15 level in probablility.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Structure of Cosmological CP Violation via Neutrino Seesaw

The cosmological matter-antimatter asymmetry can originate from CP-violating interactions of seesaw Majorana neutrinos via leptogenesis in the thermal phase of the early universe. Having the cosmological CP-phase for leptogenesis requires at least two right-handed Majorana neutrinos. Using only the low energy neutrino observables we quantitatively reconstruct a minimal neutrino seesaw. We establish a general criterion for minimal seesaw schemes in which the cosmological CP-phase is {\it completely} reconstructed from the low energy CP-phases measured by neutrino oscillation and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. We reveal and analyze two distinct classes of such minimal schemes that are shown to be highly predictive. Extension of our reconstruction formalism to a three-heavy-neutrino seesaw is discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Neutrino mass limits from SDSS, 2dFGRS and WMAP

We investigate whether cosmological data suggest the need for massive neutrinos. We employ galaxy power spectrum measurements from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Two Degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dFGRS), along with cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and 27 other CMB experiments. We also use the measurement of the Hubble parameter from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Key Project. We find the sum of the neutrino masses to be smaller than 0.75 eV at 2σ(1.1 eV at 3σ).

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Progress in the physics of massive neutrinos

The current status of the physics of massive neutrinos is reviewed with a forward-looking emphasis. The article begins with the general phenomenology of neutrino oscillations in vacuum and matter and documents the experimental evidence for oscillations of solar, reactor, atmospheric and accelerator neutrinos. Both active and sterile oscillation possibilities are considered. The impact of cosmology (BBN, CMB, leptogenesis) and astrophysics (supernovae, highest energy cosmic rays) on neutrino observables and vice versa, is evaluated. The predictions of grand unified, radiative and other models of neutrino mass are discussed. Ways of determining the unknown parameters of three-neutrino oscillations are assessed, taking into account eight-fold degeneracies in parameters that yield the same oscillation probabilities, as well as ways to determine the absolute neutrino mass scale (from beta-decay, neutrinoless double-beta decay, large scale structure and Z-bursts). Critical unknowns at present are the amplitude of ν_μto ν_e oscillations and the hierarchy of the neutrino mass spectrum; the detection of CP violation in the neutrino sector depends on these and on an unknown phase. The estimated neutrino parameter sensitivities at future facilities (reactors, superbeams, neutrino factories) are given. The overall agenda of a future neutrino physics program to construct a bottom-up understanding of the lepton sector is presented.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

LSND anomaly from CPT violation in four-neutrino models

The LSND signal for \barν_μto \barν_e oscillations has prompted supposition that there may be a fourth light neutrino or that CPT is violated. Neither explanation provides a good fit to all existing neutrino data. We examine the even more speculative possibility that a four-neutrino model with CPT violation can explain the LSND effect and remain consistent with all other data. We find that models with a 3+1 mass structure in the neutrino sector are viable; a 2+2 structure is permitted only in the antineutrino sector.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Hiding relativistic degrees of freedom in the early universe

We quantify the extent to which extra relativistic energy density can be concealed by a neutrino asymmetry without conflicting with the baryon asymmetry measured by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). In the presence of a large electron neutrino asymmetry, slightly more than seven effective neutrinos are allowed by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) and WMAP at 2σ. The same electron neutrino degeneracy that reconciles the BBN prediction for the primordial helium abundance with the observationally inferred value also reconciles the LSND neutrino with BBN by suppressing its thermalization prior to BBN.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

WMAP and Inflation

We assay how inflationary models whose properties are dominated by the dynamics of a single scalar field are constrained by cosmic microwave background (CMB) data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). We classify inflationary models in a plane defined by the horizon-flow parameters. Our approach differs from that of the WMAP collaboration in that we analyze only WMAP data and take the spectral shapes from slow-roll inflation rather than power-law parameterizations of the spectra. The only other information we use is the measurement of $h$ from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Key Project. We find that the spectral index of primordial density perturbations lies in the 1σrange 0.94<n_s<1.04 with no evidence of running. The ratio of the amplitudes of tensor and scalar perturbations is smaller than 0.61 and the inflationary scale is below 2.8\times 10^{16} GeV, both at the 2σC.L. No class of inflation or ekpyrotic/cyclic models is excluded. The λϕ^4 potential is excluded at 3σonly if the number of e-folds is assumed to be less than 45.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Effective number of neutrinos and baryon asymmetry from BBN and WMAP

We place constraints on the number of relativistic degrees of freedom and on the baryon asymmetry at the epoch of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) and at recombination, using cosmic background radiation (CBR) data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), complemented by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Key Project measurement of the Hubble constant, along with the latest compilation of deuterium abundances and measurements of the primordial helium abundance. The agreement between the derived values of these key cosmological and particle physics parameters at these widely separated (in time or redshift) epochs is remarkable. From the combination of CBR and BBN data, we find the 2σranges for the effective number of neutrinos and for the baryon asymmetry (baryon to photon number ratio η) to be 1.7-3.0 and 5.53-6.76 \times 10^{-10}, respectively.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

KamLAND and solar neutrino data eliminate the LOW solution

The KamLAND reactor antineutrino experiment has detected a 3.4σflux suppression relative to the expectation if no neutrino oscillations occur. We combine KamLAND data with solar neutrino data and show that the LMA solution is the only viable oscillation solution to the solar neutrino problem at the 4.4σC. L.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

How two neutrino superbeam experiments do better than one

We examine the use of two superbeam neutrino oscillation experiments with baselines $\lsim 1000$ km to resolve parameter degeneracies inherent in the three-neutrino analysis of such experiments. We find that with appropriate choices of neutrino energies and baselines two experiments with different baselines can provide a much better determination of the neutrino mass ordering than a single experiment alone. Two baselines are especially beneficial when the mass scale for solar neutrino oscillations $δm^2_{\rm sol}$ is $\gsim 5\times10^{-5}$ eV$^2$. We also examine CP violation sensitivity and the resolution of other parameter degeneracies. We find that the combined data of superbeam experiments with baselines of 295 and 900 km can provide sensitivity to both the neutrino mass ordering and CP violation for $\sin^22θ_{13}$ down to 0.03 for $|δm^2_{\rm atm}| \simeq 3\times10^{-3}$ eV$^2$. It would be highly advantageous to have a 10% determination of $|δm^2_{\rm atm}|$ before the beam energies and baselines are finalized, although if $|δm^2_{\rm atm}|$ is not that well known, the neutrino energies and baselines can be chosen to give fairly good sensitivity for a range of $|δm^2_{\rm atm}|$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

Inverting a Supernova: Neutrino Mixing, Temperatures and Binding Energy

We show that the temperatures of the emergent non-electron neutrinos and the binding energy released by a galactic Type II supernova are determinable, assuming the Large Mixing Angle (LMA) solution is correct, from observations at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) and at Super-Kamiokande (SK). If the neutrino mass hierarchy is inverted, either a lower or upper bound can be placed on the neutrino mixing angle $θ_{13}$, and the hierarchy can be deduced for adiabatic transitions. For the normal hierarchy, neither can $θ_{13}$ be constrained nor can the hierarchy be determined. Our conclusions are qualitatively unchanged for the proposed Hyper-Kamiokande detector.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

Off--axis Beams and Detector Clusters: Resolving Neutrino Parameter Degeneracies

There are three parameter degeneracies inherent in the three--neutrino analysis of long--baseline neutrino experiments. We develop a systematic method for determining whether or not a set of measurements in neutrino oscillation appearance experiments with approximately monoenergetic beams can completely resolve these ambiguities. We then use this method to identify experimental scenarios in which the parameter degeneracies may be efficiently resolved. Generally speaking, with two appearance measurements degeneracies can occur over wide areas of the $(δ,θ_{13})$ parameter space; with three measurements they occur along lines in the parameter space and with four measurements they occur only at isolated points. If two detectors are placed at the same distance from the source but at different locations with respect to the main axis of the beam (a detector cluster), each detector will measure neutrinos at different energies. Then one run with neutrinos and one run with antineutrinos will give the four independent measurements that in principle can resolve all of the parameter degeneracies if $\sin^22θ_{13} \geq 0.002$. We also examine scenarios with detector clusters using only neutrino beams. Without detector clusters, the measurement of neutrinos and antineutrinos at a short distance and only neutrinos at a longer distance may also work.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

No-go for detecting CP violation via neutrinoless double beta decay

We present a necessary condition on the solar oscillation amplitude for CP violation to be detectable through neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay. It depends only on the fractional uncertainty in the ν_e-ν_e element of the neutrino mass matrix. We demonstrate that even under very optimistic assumptions about the sensitivity of future experiments to the absolute neutrino mass scale, and on the precision with which nuclear matrix elements that contribute to 0νββdecay are calculable, it will be impossible to detect neutrino CP violation arising from Majorana phases.

hep-ph↗