Syndetic Extension of Baryon and Lepton Numbers: Proton Decay and Long-Lived Dark Matter

TL;DR

This paper proposes an extension of baryon and lepton numbers in the standard model, linking proton decay to a long-lived dark matter candidate and connecting neutrino mass, leptogenesis, and the strong CP problem.

Contribution

It introduces a new fermion and boson structure that unifies baryon number breaking, proton decay, and dark matter within a simple framework.

Findings

Proton decay is naturally incorporated through soft baryon number breaking.

A long-lived dark matter candidate, the pseudo-sakharon, is predicted.

The model links neutrino mass, leptogenesis, and the strong CP problem.

Abstract

The well-known baryon and lepton numbers of the standard model of quarks and leptons are extended to include new fermions and bosons in a simple structure with several essential features. The usual heavy right-handed neutrino singlets (for neutrino mass and leptogenesis) are related to the axion which solves the strong CP problem. At the same time, baryon number is broken softly, allowing the proton to decay. Associated with this breaking, a long-lived dark-matter candidate (called the pseudo-sakharon) emerges. This new insight connects proton decay to a new component of dark matter.