# Axino-Neutrino Mixing in Gauge-Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking Models

## Abstract

When the strong CP problem is solved by spontaneous breaking of an anomalous global symmetry in theories with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking, the pseudo Goldstone fermion (the axino) is a good candidate of a light sterile neutrino. Its mixing with neutrinos relevant for current neutrino experiments can arise in the presence of R-parity violation. The realistic four neutrino mass matrix is obtained when the see-saw mechanism is brought in, and an ansatz for the right-handed neutrino mass is constructed.

preprint: KIAS-P99002, hep-ph/9901220  

Current neutrino experiments observing the deficits in the atmospheric  and solar  neutrino fluxes possibly hint at the existence of an $`SU(3)_c\times SU(2)_L\times U(1)_Y`$ singlet fermion that mixes with the ordinary neutrinos. More excitingly, the reconciliation of the above neutrino data with the candidate events for the $`\nu _\mu \nu _e`$ oscillation  requires the existence of such a singlet fermion (called a sterile neutrino ) with the mass $`𝒪`$(1) eV. Since the mass of a singlet state cannot be protected by the gauge symmetry of the standard model, the introduction of a sterile neutrino must come with a theoretical justification. In view of this situation, there have been many attempts to seek for the origin of a light singlet fermion with the required properties . In this letter, we point out that a sterile neutrino can arise naturally in a well-motivated extension of the standard model, namely, in the supersymmetric standard model (SSM) incorporating the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) mechanism for the resolution of the strong CP problem , and the mechanism of supersymmetry breaking through gauge mediation .

Most attractive solution to the strong CP problem would be the PQ mechanism which introduces a QCD-anomalous global symmetry (called the PQ symmetry) spontaneously broken at a high scale $`f_a10^{10}10^{12}`$ GeV, and thus predicts a pseudo Goldstone boson (the axion, $`a`$) . In supersymmetric theories, the fermionic partner of the axion (the axino, $`\stackrel{~}{a}`$) exists and would be massless if supersymmetry is conserved. But supersymmetry is broken in reality and there would be a large mass splitting between the axion and the axino, which depends on the mechanism of supersymmetry breaking. In the context of supergravity where supersymmetry breaking is mediated at the Planck scale $`M_P`$, the axino mass is generically of the order of the gravitino mass, $`m_{3/2}10^2`$ GeV , which characterizes the supersymmetry breaking scale of the SSM sector. However, the axino can be very light if supersymmetry breaking occurs below the scale of the PQ symmetry breaking, as in theories with the gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking (GMSB) . The GMSB models are usually composed of three sectors: the SSM, messenger and hidden sector. The messenger sector contains extra vector-like quarks and leptons which conveys supersymmetry breaking from the hidden sector to the SSM sector .

In order to estimate the axino mass in the framework of GMSB, it is useful to invoke the non-linearly realized Lagrangian for the axion superfield. Below the PQ symmetry breaking scale $`f_a`$, the couplings of the axion superfield $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ can be rotated away from the superpotential and are encoded in the Kähler potential as follows:

$`K`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{I}{}}C_I^{}C_I+\mathrm{\Phi }^{}\mathrm{\Phi }+{\displaystyle \underset{I}{}}{\displaystyle \frac{x_I}{f_a}}(\mathrm{\Phi }^{}+\mathrm{\Phi })C_I^{}C_I`$ (1)   
$`+`$ higher order terms in $`f_a`$ (2)   
where $`C_I`$ is a superfield in the SSM, messenger, or hidden sector, and $`x_I`$ is its PQ charge. Upon supersymmetry breaking, the axino gets the mass from the third term in Eq. (1),

$$m_{\stackrel{~}{a}I}x_I\frac{F_I}{f_a}$$
(3)   
where $`F_I`$ is the F-term of the field $`C_I`$. If there is a massless fermion charged under the PQ symmetry, the axino would have a Dirac mass of order $`F_I/f_a`$ <sup>*</sup><sup>*</sup>* Note that the late-decaying particle scenario for the structure formation with the axino in the MeV region and the gravitino in the eV region  can be realized in this case for $`F(10^5\mathrm{GeV})^2`$.. It is however expected that there is no massless mode \[except neutrinos, see below\] in the theory, and each component of the superfield $`C_I`$ has the mass of order $`M_I\sqrt{F_I}`$ unless one introduces extra symmetries to ensure the existence of massless modes. Then, the axino mass is see-saw reduced to have the majorana mass:

$$m_{\stackrel{~}{a}}\frac{x_I^2F_I^2}{M_If_a^2}x_I^2\frac{M_I^3}{f_a^2}.$$
(4)   
Now one can think of three possible scenarios implementing the PQ symmetry: PQ symmetry acting (i) only on the SSM sector, (ii) on the messenger sector, (iii) on the hidden sector. In each case, $`\sqrt{F_I}`$ is of order of (i) $`10^210^3`$ GeV, (ii) $`10^410^5`$ GeV, (iii) $`10^510^6`$ GeV. In the last case, we restricted ourselves to have a light gravitino $`m_{3/2}1`$ keV which evades overclosure of the universe if no entropy dumping occurs after supersymmetry breaking. Then we find the following ranges of the axino mass:

$$m_{\stackrel{~}{a}}\{\begin{array}{cc}(10^910^6)\mathrm{eV}\left(\frac{10^{12}\mathrm{GeV}}{f_a}\right)^2\text{(i)}\hfill & \\ (10^31)\mathrm{eV}\left(\frac{10^{12}\mathrm{GeV}}{f_a}\right)^2\text{(ii)}\hfill & \\ (110^3)\mathrm{eV}\left(\frac{10^{12}\mathrm{GeV}}{f_a}\right)^2\text{ (iii)}\hfill & \end{array}$$
(5)   
Interestingly, the axino mass in the case (i) or (ii) falls into the region relevant for the current neutrino experiments. Our next question is then how the axino-neutrino mixing arises.

The mixing of the axino with neutrinos can come from the axion coupling to the lepton doublet $`L`$, $`x_\nu (\mathrm{\Phi }^{}+\mathrm{\Phi })L^{}L`$, which yields the mixing mass,

$$m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu }x_\nu \frac{F_\nu }{f_a}$$
(6)   
where $`x_\nu `$ is the PQ charge of the lepton doublet. It is crucial for us to observe that nonzero $`F_\nu `$ can arise when R-parity is not imposed. To calculate the size of $`F_\nu `$, we work in the basis where the Kähler potential takes the canonical form. That is, $`L^{}H_1+\mathrm{h}.\mathrm{c}.`$ is rotated away in the Kähler potential, and the superpotential of the SSM allows for the bilinear terms,

$$W=\mu H_1H_2+ϵ_i\mu L_iH_2.$$
(7)   
where the dimensionless parameter $`ϵ_i`$ measures the amount of R-parity violation. Due to the $`ϵ`$-term in Eq. (7), one has $`F_\nu =ϵ_i\mu v\mathrm{sin}\beta `$ where $`v=174`$ GeV and $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =H_2/H_1`$, and therefore,

$$m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu _i}10^4\mathrm{eV}\left(\frac{ϵ_i\mathrm{sin}\beta }{2\times 10^6}\right)\left(\frac{10^{12}\mathrm{GeV}}{f_a}\right)\left(\frac{\mu }{300\mathrm{GeV}}\right).$$
(8)   
Since R-parity and lepton number violating bilinear operators (7) are introduced, we have to take into account the so-called tree-level neutrino mass . The tree mass arises due to the misalignment of the sneutrino vaccum expectation values with the $`ϵ_i`$ terms, which vanishes at the mediation scale $`M_m`$ of supersymmetry breaking, but is generated at the weak scale through renomalization group (RG) evolution of supersymmetry breaking parameters. This tree mass takes the form of $`m_\nu ^{\mathrm{tree}}ϵ_iϵ_j`$, and its size (dominated by one component $`ϵ_i`$) is given by ,

$`m_{\nu _i}^{\mathrm{tree}}`$ $``$ $`1\mathrm{eV}\left({\displaystyle \frac{a_i}{3\times 10^6}}\right)^2\left({\displaystyle \frac{M_Z}{M_{1/2}}}\right)`$ (9)   
$`\text{where}a_i`$ $``$ $`ϵ_i\mathrm{sin}\beta \left({\displaystyle \frac{\mu A_b}{m_{\stackrel{~}{l}}^2}}\right)\left({\displaystyle \frac{3h_b^2}{8\pi ^2}}\mathrm{ln}{\displaystyle \frac{M_m}{m_{\stackrel{~}{l}}}}\right)`$ (10)   
where $`M_Z,M_{1/2}`$ and $`m_{\stackrel{~}{l}}`$ are the Z-boson, gaugino and slepton mass, respectively, and $`h_b,A_b`$ are the $`b`$-quark Yukawa coupling and corresponding trilinear soft-parameter, respectively. In Eq. (9), the term proportional to $`h_b^2\mathrm{ln}(M_m/m_{\stackrel{~}{l}})`$ characterizes the size of the RG-induced misalignment. Taking $`\mathrm{tan}\beta =1,\mu A_b=m_{\stackrel{~}{l}}^2`$, and $`M_m=10^3m_{\stackrel{~}{l}}`$ as reference values, one finds

$$m_{\nu _i}^{\mathrm{tree}}10^4\mathrm{eV}\left(\frac{ϵ_i}{10^6}\right)^2\left(\frac{M_Z}{M_{1/2}}\right)$$
(11)   
which grows roughly as $`\mathrm{tan}^4\beta `$ in large $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ region.

Based on Eqs. (5), (8) and (11), we can make the following observations:

* The just-so solution of the solar neutrino problem with large mixing and $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{sol}}^20.7\times 10^{10}\mathrm{eV}^2`$  implies $`m_{\nu _e}^{\mathrm{tree}},m_{\stackrel{~}{a}}<m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu _e}10^5\mathrm{eV}`$, and could be realized in the case (i). For this, we need $`f_a10^{11}`$ GeV and $`ϵ_110^7`$.
* The small mixing MSW solution requiring $`\theta _{\mathrm{sol}}4\times 10^4`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{sol}}^25\times 10^6\mathrm{eV}^2`$  can be realized for the case (i) or (ii) if $`m_{\nu _e}^{\mathrm{tree}}<m_{\stackrel{~}{a}}2\times 10^3`$ eV and $`m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu _e}10^4\mathrm{eV}`$. For this, one needs $`f_a10^{10}`$ GeV and $`ϵ_i10^8`$ in the case (i); or $`f_a10^{12}`$ GeV and $`ϵ_i10^6`$ in the case (ii).
* The $`\nu _\mu \stackrel{~}{a}`$ explanation of the atmospheric neutrino oscillation  requiring nearly maximal mixing  is realized if $`m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu _e}>m_{\stackrel{~}{a}},m_{\nu _\mu }^{\mathrm{tree}}`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{atm}}^22m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu _e}(m_{\stackrel{~}{a}}+m_{\nu _\mu }^{\mathrm{tree}})3\times 10^3\mathrm{eV}^2`$. The best region of parameters for this is $`ϵ_210^5`$ and $`f_a10^{10}`$ GeV prefering the case (i).

Note that a low $`\mathrm{tan}\beta `$ is preferred to suppress $`m_{\nu _i}^{\mathrm{tree}}`$ in all of the above cases.

Having seen that the $`\nu _{e,\mu }\stackrel{~}{a}`$ mixing can arise to explain the solar or atmospheric neutrino problem, let us now discuss how all the experimental data  can be accommodated in our scheme. Recall that there exist only two patterns of neutrino mass-squared differences compatible with the results of all the experiments. Namely, four neutrino masses are divided into two pairs of almost degenerate masses separated by a gap of $`\sqrt{\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{LSND}}^2}1\mathrm{eV}`$ as indicated by the result of the LSND experiments , and follow either of the following patterns :

$`\text{(A)}\underset{\mathrm{LSND}}{\underset{}{\stackrel{\mathrm{atm}}{\stackrel{}{m_1<m_2}}\stackrel{\mathrm{solar}}{\stackrel{}{m_3<m_4}}}},`$ (12)   
(13)   
$`\text{(B)}\underset{\mathrm{LSND}}{\underset{}{\stackrel{\mathrm{solar}}{\stackrel{}{m_1<m_2}}\stackrel{\mathrm{atm}}{\stackrel{}{m_3<m_4}}}}.`$ (14)   
In (A), $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{21}^2`$ is relevant for the explanation of the atmospheric neutrino anomaly and $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{43}^2`$ is relevant for the suppression of solar $`\nu _e`$’s. In (B), the roles of $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{21}^2`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{43}^2`$ are interchanged.

In our scheme, the required degeneracy of $`m_3`$ and $`m_4`$ could be a consequence of the quasi Dirac structure: $`m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu _i}m_{\stackrel{~}{a}},m_{\nu _i}^{\mathrm{tree}}`$. To have $`m_4,m_3m_{\stackrel{~}{a}\nu _i}1\mathrm{eV}`$, we need a large value of $`ϵ_i`$ $`10^4`$ e.g. for $`f_a=10^{10}`$ GeV. But this makes the tree mass too large ($`m_{\nu _i}^{\mathrm{tree}}1\mathrm{eV}`$) to accommodate $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{sol}}^2`$ or $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{atm}}^2`$ for (A) or (B), respectively. For the pattern (B), the atmospheric neutrino oscillation could also be explained by the $`\nu _\mu \nu _\tau `$ degeneracy with the splitting $`m_4m_310^3\mathrm{eV}`$. However, when the ordinary neutrino mass comes from R-parity violation, the neutrino mass takes generically the hierarchical structure since the tree mass (of the form $`m_{ij}^{\mathrm{tree}}ϵ_iϵ_j`$) is rank-one. Even though this structure can be changed due to the one-loop contribution through the squark and slepton exchanges , one needs fine-tuning to achieve the required degeneracy: $`(m_4m_3)/m_310^3`$ .

The simplest way to get the realistic neutrino mass matrix would be to introduce heavy right-handed neutrinos $`N`$ whose masses are related naturally to the PQ scale $`f_a10^{12}\mathrm{GeV}`$. For this purpose, let us assign the following $`U(1)`$ PQ charges to the fields:

$$\begin{array}{ccccccccc}H_1& H_2& L& N& \varphi & \varphi ^{}& \sigma & \sigma ^{}& Y\\ 1& 1& 2& 3& 1& 1& 6& 6& 0\end{array}$$
(15)   
Then the PQ symmetry allows for the superpotential $`W=W_N+W_{PQ}`$ where

$`W_N`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{h_\mu }{M_P}}H_1H_2\varphi ^2+{\displaystyle \frac{h_i}{M_P^2}}L_iH_2\varphi ^3+{\displaystyle \frac{m_i^D}{H_2}}L_iH_2N_i+{\displaystyle \frac{M_{ij}}{2\sigma }}N_iN_j\sigma `$ (16)   
$`W_{PQ}`$ $`=`$ $`(\varphi \varphi ^{}+\sigma \sigma ^{}+M_1^2)Y+M_2Y^2+{\displaystyle \frac{h_y}{3}}Y^3+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{6}}\varphi ^6\sigma +{\displaystyle \frac{1}{6}}\varphi _{}^{}{}_{}{}^{6}\sigma ^{}`$ (17)   
where $`M_{ij},M_1,M_2f_a`$. Minimization of the scalar potential coming from $`W_{PQ}`$ leads to the supersymmetric minimum with the vaccum expectation values $`\varphi ,\varphi ^{},\sigma ,\sigma ^{}f_a`$ and $`Y0`$ satisfying the conditions $`\varphi /\varphi ^{}^6=\sigma ^{}/\sigma `$ and $`\varphi \varphi ^{}=6\sigma \sigma ^{}`$. Note that the superpotential $`W_N`$ provides a solution to the $`\mu `$ problem , and generates the right value of $`ϵ_i`$ for our purpose, that is,

$$\mu \frac{h_\mu f_a^2}{M_P}10^2\mathrm{GeV},ϵ_i\frac{h_if_a}{h_\mu M_P}10^6.$$
(18)   
Now the usual arbitrariness comes in the determination of the Dirac neutrino mass $`m_i^D`$ and the right-handed neutrino mass $`M_{ij}`$. Guided by the unification spirit, let us first take the Dirac masses, $`m_1^D1\mathrm{MeV}`$, $`m_2^D1\mathrm{GeV}`$ and $`m_3^D100\mathrm{GeV}`$ following the hierarchical structure of up-type quarks. Then, the see-saw suppressed neutrino mass matrix $`m_{ij}^{3\mathrm{x}3}=m_i^Dm_j^DM_{ij}^1`$ takes the form,

$$m^{3\mathrm{x}3}1\mathrm{eV}\left(\begin{array}{ccc}10^8c_{11}& 10^5c_{12}& 10^3c_{13}\\ 10^5c_{12}& 10^2c_{22}& c_{23}\\ 10^3c_{13}& c_{23}& 10^2c_{33}\end{array}\right)$$
(19)   
where $`c_{ij}=M_{ij}^1/M_{23}^1`$ and $`m_2^Dm_3^DM_{23}^11\mathrm{eV}`$. Note that the matrix (19) is close to the neutrino mass matrix ansatz :

$$m^{3\mathrm{x}3}1\mathrm{eV}\left(\begin{array}{ccc}0& 0& 0.01\\ 0& 10^3& 1\\ 0.01& 1& 10^3\end{array}\right)$$
(20)   
which explains the atmospheric neutrino and LSND data, except that (19) has a too large component, $`m_{33}^{3\mathrm{x}3}`$. Restricted by minimality condition and requiring $`c_{33}=0`$, the ansatz (20) can be translated to the corresponding one for the right-handed neutrino mass matrix:

$$M_{ij}=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}A& B& C\\ B& B^2/A& 0\\ C& 0& 0\end{array}\right).$$
(21)   
The parameters $`A,B,C`$ in Eq. (21) are determined from the observational quantities as follows:

$`\sqrt{\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{LSND}}^2}`$ $``$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{Am_2^Dm_3^D}{BC}}`$ (22)   
$`\theta _{\mathrm{LSND}}`$ $``$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{B}{A}}{\displaystyle \frac{m_1^D}{m_2^D}}`$ (23)   
$`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{atm}}^2}{\mathrm{\Delta }m_{\mathrm{LSND}}^2}}`$ $``$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{C}{B}}{\displaystyle \frac{m_2^D}{m_3^D}}`$ (24)   
from which one finds $`A,C0.1B`$, and $`B^2/A10B`$ for $`B10^{11}\mathrm{GeV}`$.

In conclusion, it has been shown that the axino, which is predicted by the PQ mechanism in supersymmetric theories, can be naturally light and mix with ordinary neutrinos to explain the solar or atmospheric neutrino problem in the context of gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking. The lightness is ensured by the small supersymmetry breaking scale $`\sqrt{F}10^5`$ GeV (far below the PQ symmetry breaking scale $`f_a`$) and the mixing is induced due to the presence of the R-parity violating bilinear term $`ϵ_i\mu L_iH_2`$. The $`\nu _e\stackrel{~}{a}`$ mixing can arise to explain the solar neutrino deficit when the parameters are in the ranges: $`ϵ_110^6`$ and $`f_a10^{12}`$ GeV for which the axion can provide cold dark matter of the universe. To account for the atmospheric neutrino oscillation ($`\nu _\mu \stackrel{~}{a}`$), larger $`ϵ`$ and smaller $`f_a`$ are preferred: $`ϵ_210^5,f_a10^{10}\mathrm{GeV}`$.

With R-parity violation alone, it is hard to find the four neutrino mass matrix which accommodates all the neutrino data. It has been therefore attempted to obtain a realistic four neutrino oscillation scheme relying on the see-saw mechanism combined with R-parity violation. In this case, only the pattern (B) with the $`\nu _e\stackrel{~}{a}`$ solar and $`\nu _\mu \nu _\tau `$ atmospheric oscillations can be realized. A toy model has been built in a way that the right values of $`\mu `$ and $`ϵ`$ are generated naturally through the PQ symmetry selection rule. In the unification scheme where the Dirac neutrino mass follows the hierarchical structure of up-type quarks, an ansatz for the right-handed neutrino mass matrix has been constructed to reproduce the required light neutrino mass matrix.