The quantum vacuum of the minimal SO(10) GUT

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that quantum effects can alter the vacuum structure of minimal non-supersymmetric SO(10) GUTs, supporting certain symmetry breaking patterns previously thought impossible, thus revitalizing these models for realistic grand unification.

Contribution

It shows that quantum corrections enable viable symmetry breaking chains in minimal SO(10) GUTs with the adjoint Higgs, overturning earlier no-go results.

Findings

Quantum effects significantly modify the vacuum structure.

Supported symmetry breaking chains include SU(4)_C x SU(2)_L x U(1)_R and SU(3)_c x SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1)_B-L.

Revives the viability of minimal non-supersymmetric SO(10) GUTs.

Abstract

We reexamine the longstanding no-go excluding all potentially viable SO(10) -> SU(3)_c x SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y symmetry breaking patterns within the minimal renormalizable non-supersymmetric SO(10) GUT framework featuring the 45-dimensional adjoint representation in the Higgs sector. A simple symmetry argument indicates that quantum effects do change the vacuum structure of the model dramatically. A thorough analysis of the one-loop effective potential reveals that the phenomenologically favoured symmetry breaking chains passing through the SU(4)_C x SU(2)_L x U(1)_R or SU(3)_c x SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1)_B-L intermediate stages are, indeed, supported at the quantum level. This brings the class of minimal non-supersymmetric SO(10) GUTs back from oblivion, providing a new ground for a potentially realistic model building.