Reheating Effects on Charged Lepton Yukawa Equilibration and Leptogenesis

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a non-instantaneous reheating phase after inflation affects charged lepton Yukawa interactions and the resulting implications for leptogenesis, potentially altering flavor regimes in early Universe models.

Contribution

It highlights the importance of considering extended reheating periods in leptogenesis models, showing significant modifications to lepton flavor dynamics and Yukawa equilibration temperatures.

Findings

Reheating phase impacts charged lepton Yukawa equilibration temperature.

Reheating modifies the flavor regimes of leptogenesis.

Potential shifts in leptogenesis scenarios due to extended reheating.

Abstract

We show that accounting for a non-instantaneous reheating phase after inflation can significantly modify the charged lepton Yukawa equilibration temperature in the early Universe. This finding calls for revisiting the role of lepton flavors in leptogenesis models where right-handed neutrinos are produced and decay during the extended reheating period. Our analysis reveals that this effect can induce shifts in the flavor regime(s) of leptogenesis relative to standard scenario.