Lepton number violating operators with standard model gauge fields: A survey of neutrino masses from 3-loops and their link to dark matter

TL;DR

This paper explores neutrino mass generation through lepton number violating operators involving gauge fields, linking neutrino masses to dark matter interactions and analyzing phenomenological constraints and signatures.

Contribution

It identifies two classes of new physics scenarios producing a unique dimension nine operator, connecting neutrino masses, dark matter, and gauge fields in a novel framework.

Findings

Neutrino masses are generated radiatively via dark matter interactions.

The study constrains models using neutrino mixing and neutrinoless double beta decay.

Certain scenarios are disfavored based on phenomenological analysis.

Abstract

We investigate neutrino mass generation scenarios where the lepton number breaking new physics couples only to the Standard Model (SM) right-handed charged lepton chirality. The lowest-order lepton number violating effective operator which describes this framework is a unique dimension nine operator involving SM gauge fields, $\mathcal{O}_9$. We find that there are two possible classes of new physics scenarios giving rise to this $\mathcal{O}_9$ operator. In these scenarios neutrino masses are induced radiatively via dark matter interactions, linking the dark matter to a natural explanation for the smallness of neutrino masses compared to the electroweak scale. We discuss the phenomenology and existing constraints in the different neutrino mass models within each class. In particular, we analyze the important interplay between neutrino mixing and neutrinoless double $\beta$-decay in order to predict characteristic signatures and disfavour certain scenarios.