Phenomenological Implications

of Neutrino Mass Matrices with

Two Texture
S. Dev, Sanjeev Kumar, Surender
Verma and Shivani Gupta
Department of Physics
Himachal Pradesh University
Shimla
 Present Work
• The present work examines neutrino mass
matrices with two texture zeros
• The problem has been studied extensively:
 Paul H. Frampton, Sheldon L. Glashow and
Danny Marfatia, Phys. Lett. B 536, 79 (2002).
 Bipin R. Desai, D. P. Roy and Alexander R.
Vaucher, Mod. Phys. Lett A 18, 1355 (2003).
 Zhi-zhong Xing, Phys. Lett. B 539 85 (2002).
 Wanlei Guo and Zhi-zhong Xing, Phys. Rev. D
67, 053002 (2003).
Out of the 15 possibilities for two texture
zeros, following 7 are consistent with the
neutrino oscillation data:
 The class D

Class D of neutrino mass matrices with two

texture zeros, disallowed by the earlier analyses ,
was found to be marginally allowed in a
subsequent analysis by Guo and Xing.
However, the class D is ruled out in our analysis.
So, there are only seven classes for texture zeros.
 Degeneracies of the neutrino
mass matrix
Neutrino mass matrices within a class were
thought to have identical phenomenological
consequences leading to the degeneracy of mass
matrices within a class:
There will be a two-fold degeneracy in class A.
The class B exhibits an eight-fold degeneracy
(since NH and IH are practically indistinguishable
in class B due to QD spectrum of neutrino
masses).
 Neutrino mass matrix
The neutrino mass matrix

can be parameterized in terms of

• three neutrino mass eigenvalues,
• three neutrino mixing angles,
• one Dirac-type CP violating phase and
• two Majorana CP violating phases
 A useful transformation
Me -Me
T: M -M

A1 A2
T: B1 B2
B3 B4
identical predictions for neutrino parameters
other than 23 and in each case above
 One degree of freedom!
There are 9 parameters: m1, m2, m3, , , , 12 , 23 and
13

Two texture zeros give following two complex equations:

4 real equations
+
4 experimental parameters
 The numerical method
On plane
• calculate the two mass ratios:

• calculate the two Majorana phases

• use the two mass ratios to obtain m1

• the plane is constrained by the

requirement that two values of m1 calculated
above are equal
 How our analysis differs from the
analysis by Guo and Xing
Information available in the form of two mass-
squared differences
 enter as two independent inputs in our analysis
 enter through the ratio

in the analysis done by Guo and Xing.

Incidentally, the definition of R employed in the
above analysis has a modulus sign in the
numerator as well!
 How our analysis differs from the
analysis by Guo and Xing
The neutrino parameter space is constrained by
selecting only those mass ratios for which
 two values for lightest neutrino mass are same
(our analysis)
 the value of R lies in the experimental range
(Guo and Xing)
Note that R naturally lies in its experimental
range in our analysis: we are able to further
constrain the neutrino parameter space.
 The problems with the earlier
analyses
• The neutrino parameter space is constrained
by the requirement that R is within
experimental range.
• But, the two mass ratios may give a correct
value for R even when the values of m1
obtained from them are not equal.
• Moreover, the value R is independent of
the absolute neutrino mass scale.
 A more direct method with more
constraining power
It is a prevalent practice in literature to constrain
the neutrino parameter space through R .
• Full information on the neutrino masses
contained in the two mass-squared differences is
not employed in constraining neutrino parameter
space through R .
• We advocate a more direct use of the
experimental values of mass-squared differences
as two independent inputs.
 Some qualitative results
• the deviation of atmospheric mixing from maximality
and the quadrant of the Dirac-type CP-violating phase
can be used to distinguish the mass matrices within a
class
• a definite lower bound on 13 is obtained for class A
• two quadrants of Dirac phase are disallowed in class B
• the CP-violation will be near maximal if 13 is large in
class B
• definite lower bounds on Mee are obtained for class B
and C
• Detailed numerical results have been reported in hep-
ph/0612102.
 Forthcoming neutrino experiments
The neutrino mass matrices class A will be ruled
out by the forthcoming experiments if
• If neutrinoless double beta decay searches give
positive results,
• the atmospheric/reactor neutrino oscillation
experiments confirm inverted hierarchy, or
• If the forthcoming neutrino oscillation
experiments measure 1-3 mixing angle below
3.5 degrees.
 Forthcoming neutrino experiments
• will aim at measuring the Dirac type CP
violating phase and the deviations of the
atmospheric mixing angle from maximality
• will be able to determine the signs of the
quantities , and
• will resolve, therefore the eightfold degeneracy
in the neutrino parameter space.
Forthcoming neutrino experiments
The eightfold degeneracy
• The degeneracy occurs because vacuum
oscillations are not affected by the signs of
, and .
• Since the matter effect are sensitive to these signs,
the eightfold degeneracy can be resolved.
• The resolution of the eightfold degeneracy will
also resolve the two-fold degeneracy in mass
matrices of class A and eightfold degeneracy in
mass matrices of class B.
The eightfold degeneracy
and
neutrino mass matrices
with two texture zeros