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Title: Neutrino mass matrices with M{sub ee}=0

Journal Article · · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields
 [1];  [1]
  1. Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States)

Motivated by the possibility that the amplitude for neutrinoless double beta decay may be much smaller than the planned sensitivity of future experiments, we study Ansaetze for the neutrino mass matrix with M{sub ee}=0. For the case in which CP is conserved, we consider two classes of real-valued mass matrices: ''Class I'' defined by |M{sub e{mu}|}=|M{sub e{tau}|}, and ''Class II'' defined by |M{sub {mu}{mu}|}=|M{sub {tau}{tau}|}. The important phenomenological distinction between the two is that Class I permits only small values of V{sub e3} up to {approx}0.03, while Class II admits large values of V{sub e3} up to its empirical upper limit of 0.22. Then we introduce CP-violating complex phases into the mass matrix. We show that it is possible to have tribimaximal mixing with M{sub ee}=0 and |M{sub {mu}{tau}|}=|M{sub {mu}{mu}|}=|M{sub {tau}{tau}|} if the Majorana phase angles are {+-}{pi}/4. Alternatively, for smaller values of |M{sub {mu}{tau}|}=|M{sub {mu}{mu}|}=|M{sub {tau}{tau}|} it is possible to obtain |V{sub e3}|{approx}0.2 and generate relatively large CP-violating amplitudes. To eliminate phase redundancy, we emphasize rephasing any mass matrix with M{sub ee}=0 into a standard form with two complex phases. The discussion alternates between analytical and numerical but remains purely phenomenological, without any attempt to derive mass matrices from a fundamental theory.

OSTI ID:
21607758
Journal Information:
Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 84, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.84.073012; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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