Quasi-Degenerate Neutrino Mass Spectrum, μ-> e + γDecay and Leptogenesis

Abstract

In a large class of SUSY GUT models with see-saw mechanism of neutrino mass generation, lepton flavor violating (LFV) decays $μ\to e + γ$, $τ\to μ+ γ$, etc., are predicted with rates that are within the reach of present and planned experiments. A crucial element in these predictions is the matrix of neutrino Yukawa couplings $\ynu$ which can be expressed in terms of the light and RH heavy neutrino masses, the neutrino mixing PMNS matrix $U$, and an orthogonal matrix $\mathbf{R}$. Leptogenesis can take place only if $\mathbf{R}$ is complex. Considering the case of quasi-degenerate neutrinos and assuming that $\mathbf{R}$ is complex, we derive simple analytical expressions for the $μ\to e + γ$, $τ\to μ+ γ$ and $τ\to e + γ$ decay rates. Taking into account the leptogenesis constraints on the relevant parameters we show that the predicted rates of the LFV decays $μ\to e + γ$, and $τ\to e + γ$ are generically enhanced by a factor of $\sim 10^{3}$ to $\sim 10^{6}$ with respect to the rates calculated for real $\mathbf{R}$, while the $τ\to μ+ γ$ decay rate is enhanced approximately by two orders of magnitude.

17 pages, 1 figure; results and conclusions unchanged, typos corrected, references added; version submitted for publication