1,721,077 research outputs found
Maximal Neutrino Mixing from discrete symmetry in extra dimensions
I review the construction of a model for lepton masses based on the flavour symmetry group A4 x U(1) reproducing the so-called tri-bimaximal lepton mixing scheme, in eccelent agreement with current data. The model predicts a neutrino spectrum of normal hierarchy type, not far from degenerate. A testable relation between neutrino masses is obtained. I shortly discuss also general requirements for models based on spontaneously broken flavour symmetries, in order to get a maximal atmospheric mixing angle
Pieces of the flavour puzzle
An overview of the flavour problem is presented, with emphasis on the theoretical efforts to find a satisfactory description of the fermion masses and the mixing angles
Fermion Mass Hierarchies and Flavour Mixing from a Minimal Discrete Symmetry
We construct a simple model of fermion masses based on a spontaneously broken S3 X Z3 flavour group. At the leading order, in the neutrino sector S3 is broken down to a \nu_\mu-\nu_\tau parity subgroup that enforces a maximal atmospheric mixing angle and a vanishing \theta_{13}. In the charged lepton sector the \nu_\mu-\nu_\tau parity is maximally broken and the resulting mass matrix is nearly diagonal. The charged lepton mass hierarchy is automatically reproduced by the S3 symmetry breaking parameter alone. A careful analysis shows that, after the inclusion of all relevant subleading effects, the model predicts \theta_{23}=\pi/4+O(\lambda_c^2) and \theta_{13}=O(\lambda_c^2), \lambda_c denoting the Cabibbo angle. A simple extension to the quark sector is also illustrated, where the mass spectrum and the mixing angles are naturally reproduced, with the exception of the mixing angle between the first two generations, that requires a small accidental enhancement
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