Cosmological consequences of spontaneous lepton number violation in SO(10) grand unification
- Enrico Fermi Institute and Department of Physics, University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States)
Cosmological constraints on grand-unified theories with spontaneous lepton number violation are analyzed. We concentrate on SO(10), the simplest of the models possessing this property. It has been noted previously that the consistency of these models with the observed baryon asymmetry generically implies strict upper bounds on the light neutrino masses. In this paper, we analyze the situation in detail. We find that minimal models of fermion masses face difficulties, but that it is possible for these models to generate an adequate baryon asymmetry via nonequilibrium lepton-number-violating processes when the right-handed neutrino masses are near their maximum possible values. This condition uniquely picks out the minimal gauge symmetry-breaking scheme. A nonminimal model is also analyzed, with somewhat different conclusions due to the nature of the imposed symmetries.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-90ER40560
- OSTI ID:
- 6280054
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Vol. 48:4; ISSN 0556-2821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Pa
GRAND UNIFIED THEORY
LEPTON NUMBER
VIOLATIONS
CONSTRAINTS
ASYMMETRY
BARYON NUMBER
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
MASS
NEUTRINOS
SO-10 GROUPS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
LEPTONS
LIE GROUPS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PARTICLE MODELS
SO GROUPS
SYMMETRY GROUPS
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS
UNIFIED-FIELD THEORIES
662210* - Specific Theories & Interaction Models
Particle Systematics- Unified Theories & Models- (1992-)