Proton Hexality from an Anomalous Flavor U(1) and Neutrino Masses - Linking to the String Scale

TL;DR

This paper constructs minimal U(1)_X models that naturally produce proton stability and viable neutrino masses, linking low-energy phenomenology to string theory parameters without requiring hidden sector fields.

Contribution

It introduces a minimalistic gauged U(1)_X framework that yields proton hexality and realistic neutrino masses, connecting low-energy physics to string scale parameters.

Findings

Proton hexality is realized through a gauged U(1)_X symmetry.

Viable neutrino masses are achieved with specific X-charge assignments.

Models do not require hidden sector superfields, enabling calculation of string-related parameters.

Abstract

We devise minimalistic gauged U(1)_X Froggatt-Nielsen models which at low-energy give rise to the recently suggested discrete gauge Z_6 symmetry, proton hexality, thus stabilizing the proton. Assuming three generations of right-handed neutrinos, with the proper choice of X-charges, we obtain viable neutrino masses. Furthermore, we find scenarios such that no X-charged hidden sector superfields are needed, which from a bottom-up perspective allows the calculation of g_string, g_X and G_SM's Kac-Moody levels. The only mass scale apart from M_grav is m_soft.