Neutrino Masses and Mixing with General Mass Matrices

TL;DR

This paper explores the most general neutrino mass and mixing framework involving Dirac and Majorana terms, revealing a complex 12x12 Hamiltonian diagonalization process that extends traditional models and introduces nonunitary mixing matrices.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of neutrino mixing with general mass matrices, highlighting the need for a 12x12 Hamiltonian diagonalization and the implications for CP violation.

Findings

Diagonalization involves a 12x12 Hermitian matrix.

Eigenvalues are paired and real, consistent with standard models.

Nonunitary mixing matrices suggest new CP violation possibilities.

Abstract

We consider the most general neutrino masses and mixings including Dirac mass terms, M_D, as well as Majorana masses, M_R and M_L. Neither the Majorana nor the Dirac mass matrices are expected to be diagonal in the eigenbasis of weak interactions, and so the resulting eigenstates of the Hamiltonian are admixtures of $\SU(2)_L$ singlet and doublet fields of different ``generations.'' We show that for three generations each of doublet and singlet neutrinos, diagonalization of the Hamiltonian to obtain the propagating eigenstates in the general case requires diagonalization of a $12\times12$ Hermitian matrix, rather than the traditional $6\times6$ symmetric mass matrix. The symmetries of the $12\times12$ matrix {\em are} such that it has 6 pairs of real eigenvalues. Although the standard "see-saw" mechanism remains valid, and indeed the eigenvalues obtained are identical to the standard ones, the correct description of diagonalization and mixing is more complicated. The analogs of the CKM matrix for the light and the heavy neutrinos are nonunitary, enriching the opportunities for CP violation in the full neutrino sector.