Neutrinos as Windows Into Physics Beyond the Standard Model
Sayre, Joshua Coe
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/80570
Description
Title
Neutrinos as Windows Into Physics Beyond the Standard Model
Author(s)
Sayre, Joshua Coe
Issue Date
2008
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Scott Willenbrock
Department of Study
Physics
Discipline
Physics
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Physics, Theory
Language
eng
Abstract
We investigate several possible routes for extending the Standard Model of Particle Physics, based on phenomenological considerations. We focus particularly on the role of neutrino data, proton decay bounds and known fermion masses and mixing angles in constraining a viable model. First, we discuss the symmetry structure necessary to explain a light sterile neutrino. We show that such a particle would imply the existence of an extended sterile sector. Second, we describe the minimal Trinified Model. We detail the structure of vacuum expectation values and couplings necessary to reproduce the standard model and analyze the predicted proton decay rate. Third, we consider Planck scale induced proton decay operators. We discuss to what extent the choice of unified gauge group can suppress these operators, and show that they can be sufficiently suppressed in E6, or trinified models. However, this implies an intermediate scale. Next, we consider a pair of successful models in SO(10). Here we demonstrate the potential role of a new higher-dimensional operator as an extension or alternative to these models. Last, we describe the constraints imposed on unified model building by the neutrino data in conjunction with naturalness principles. We show that such constraints imply highly non-generic forms for the neutrino Yukawa coupling matrices.
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