Effective textures from a $[SU(3)]^3$ flavored scalar sector

TL;DR

This paper proposes a gauged $SU(3)$ flavor symmetry model that dynamically generates leptonic Yukawa matrices, explains neutrino mass hierarchies, and aligns with experimental neutrino data, addressing flavor violation and CP violation issues.

Contribution

It introduces a novel $SU(3)$ flavor symmetry framework with flavons that produce realistic neutrino masses and mixing, advancing flavor physics models.

Findings

Model aligns with neutrino oscillation data

Predicts at least one neutrino mass is strongly suppressed

Provides a mechanism for Yukawa hierarchy and flavor violation suppression

Abstract

Current constraints on flavor-changing neutral currents (FCNCs) strongly indicate that any new physics emerging at the 1-10 TeV scale must adhere to the Minimal Flavor Violation (MFV) principle, where Yukawa couplings are the sole sources of flavor violation. In this work, we present a model inspired by a gauged $SU(3)$ flavor symmetry that dynamically generates leptonic Yukawa matrices through effective operators. The model incorporates a scalar sector with two sets of flavons, characterized by their vacuum expectation values (VEVs), which govern the suppression scale of the Yukawa couplings and the hierarchy of neutrino masses. By leveraging phenomenologically viable Yukawa textures, we derive restrictions on the flavon VEVs and demonstrate the compatibility of the model with experimental neutrino oscillation data. Furthermore, the model predicts at least one neutrino mass to be strongly suppressed, consistent with the normal mass ordering and experimental upper bounds. This framework provides a robust mechanism for dynamically generating neutrino masses and mixing while addressing key challenges in leptonic flavor physics, such as FCNC suppression and CP-violating phases.