Sphaleron-induced baryon-number nonconservation and a constraint on Majorana neutrino masses

Journal Article · Wed Aug 15 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.42.1285· OSTI ID:6417218

Fukugita, M ^[1]; Yanagida, T ^[2]

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1. Research Institute for Fundamental Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606 (Japan)
2. Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980 (Japan)

We point out that the baryon-number asymmetry in the Universe is erased by the sphaleron effect just below the electroweak phase transition irrespective of the primordial baryon- and lepton-number asymmetry, if there exists a Majorana-type interaction. The requirement to avoid this happening leads to the condition that {ital m}{sub {nu}} (Majorana) {lt}50 keV for all species of neutrinos, regardless of whether or not neutrinos are stable.

• OSTI ID: 6417218
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (USA) Vol. 42:4; ISSN PRVDA; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640106* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASYMMETRY
BARYON NUMBER
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FIELD THEORIES
HIGGS BOSONS
LEPTON NUMBER
LEPTONS
MAJORANA THEORY
MASS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NEUTRINOS
PARTICLE MODELS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POSTULATED PARTICLES
STANDARD MODEL
UNIFIED GAUGE MODELS
UNIFIED-FIELD THEORIES
UNIVERSE
WEINBERG-SALAM GAUGE MODEL