Common Origin of Neutrino Mass and Dark Matter from Anomaly Cancellation Requirements of a $U(1)_{B-L}$ Model

TL;DR

This paper proposes a $U(1)_{B-L}$ extension of the standard model where anomaly cancellation requires new fermions, which simultaneously explain neutrino masses and dark matter, with testable predictions at various experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel $U(1)_{B-L}$ model with fractional charges that links neutrino mass generation and dark matter stability, providing new testable signatures.

Findings

Model explains neutrino masses at one loop level.

Dark matter stability is guaranteed by a residual discrete symmetry.

Predicts a vanishing lightest neutrino mass, testable in future experiments.

Abstract

We study a gauged $B-L$ extension of the standard model where the new fermions with fractional $B-L$ charges that play the role of keeping the model anomaly free can also explain the origin of neutrino mass at one loop level as well as dark matter. We discuss two different versions of the model to realise fermion and scalar dark matter, both of which guarantee the dark matter stability by a remnant discrete symmetry to which $U(1)_{B-L}$ gauge symmetry gets spontaneously broken down to. Apart from giving rise to the observed neutrino mass and dark matter abundance, the model also has tantalising signatures at variety of experiments operating at cosmic, intensity and energy frontiers, particularly direct and indirect detection experiments of dark matter, rare decay experiments looking for charged lepton flavour violation as well as collider experiments. The model also predicts vanishing lightest neutrino mass that can be tested at experiments sensitive to the absolute neutrino mass scale.