Vanishing Minors in the Neutrino Mass Matrix from Abelian Gauge Symmetries

Abstract

Augmenting the Standard Model by three right-handed neutrinos allows for an anomaly-free gauge group extension G_max = U(1)_(B-L) x U(1)_(L_e-L_mu) x U(1)_(L_mu-L_tau). While simple U(1) subgroups of G_max have already been discussed in the context of approximate flavor symmetries, we show how two-zero textures in the right-handed neutrino Majorana mass matrix can be enforced by the flavor symmetry, which is spontaneously broken very economically by singlet scalars. These zeros lead to two vanishing minors in the low-energy neutrino mass matrix after the seesaw mechanism. This study may provide a new testing ground for a zero-texture approach: the different classes of two-zero textures with almost identical neutrino oscillation phenomenology can in principle be distinguished by their different Z' interactions at colliders.

12 pages; Extended and clarified discussion; comments on finetuning in the textures; matches published version

References in corpus (7)

• Observation of electron-antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay
• Zero minors of the neutrino mass matrix
• Constraints on flavor-changing Z' models by B_s mixing, Z' production, and B_s -> μ^+ μ^-
• Neutrino Mass Matrices with a Texture Zero and a Vanishing Minor
• Long-Range Lepton Flavor Interactions and Neutrino Oscillations
• Texture zeroes and discrete flavor symmetries in light and heavy Majorana neutrino mass matrices: a bottom-up approach
• Neutrino Hierarchies from a Gauge Symmetry

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Addressing the LHC flavour anomalies with horizontal gauge symmetries
• Higgs $\to \mu \tau$ in Abelian and Non-Abelian Flavor Symmetry Models
• Near Maximal Atmospheric Neutrino Mixing in Neutrino Mass Models with Two Texture Zeros
• Neutrino Mass Matrices with Two Equalities Between the Elements or Cofactors