# I Introduction

## I Introduction

In the Minimal Standard Model (MSM) the neutrino is massless. This is because with only the left-handed neutrino $`\nu _L`$ we cannot build a Dirac mass term, and with only the Higgs doublet $`\varphi `$ we cannot build a Majorana mass term for $`\nu _L`$ after spontaneous symmetry breaking. However, strong indications for nonzero neutrino mass come from solar and atmospheric neutrino experiments and on the theoretical side there are several extensions of the MSM that lead to nonzero neutrino mass .

The simplest one is to add the right-handed neutrino $`\nu _R`$ in order to have the analogous of the quark $`u_R`$ in the leptonic sector. When this is done, it becomes possible to give a Dirac mass to the neutrino by means of the same mechanism used for the other fermions. Thus we expect this mass to be of the same order of magnitude of the other fermion masses. Moreover, it is now also possible to have a bare Majorana mass term for $`\nu _R`$, and the corresponding value of the mass is not constrained if the gauge group is the same of the MSM. Therefore we have a new mass scale in the extended theory , and it is a key problem to understand if this new scale is associated to new physics, that is a larger gauge group, and at what energy it eventually happens.

If the Dirac mass of the neutrino is of the same order of the other quark or lepton masses, the seesaw mechanism  relates the smallness of the neutrino mass to a very large scale in the Majorana term. Of course we have three generations of fermions and we expect three light neutrinos and three heavy ones. We assume that the light neutrino mass spectrum is hierarchical as it happens for the quark and charged lepton mass spectra. We denote by $`m_1`$, $`m_2`$, $`m_3`$ the Dirac masses, by $`M_1`$, $`M_2`$, $`M_3`$ the heavy neutrino masses, and by $`m_{\nu _1}`$, $`m_{\nu _2}`$, $`m_{\nu _3}`$ the light neutrino masses. From the solar and atmospheric neutrino experiments we can infer , with some uncertainty, the values of $`m_{\nu _2}`$ and $`m_{\nu _3}`$, and of the neutrino mixing matrix $`U`$,

$$\nu _\alpha =U_{\alpha i}\nu _i,$$
(1)   
where $`U`$ is unitary and connects the mass eigenstates $`\nu _i`$ ($`i=1,2,3`$) to the weak eigenstates $`\nu _\alpha `$ ($`\alpha =e,\mu ,\tau `$).

The aim of this paper is to calculate the heavy neutrino masses under simple hypotheses on the Dirac masses of neutrinos and on the matrix

$$V_D=V_\nu ^{}V_e$$
(2)   
which is the analogous of the CKM matrix in the Dirac leptonic sector. Namely, we assume $`V_DV_{CKM}`$, and $`M_\nu M_u`$ or $`M_\nu M_e`$. For $`m_{\nu _1}`$ we allow a variation of three orders in the hierarchical regime. We are mostly interested in $`M_3`$ (the mass of the heaviest right-handed neutrino), which is related to the new mass scale of the theory, and in $`M_1`$ (the mass of the lightest right-handed neutrino), which has some importance in baryogenesis $`via`$ leptogenesis . In Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) $`M_3`$ is associated to unification or intermediate scales , thus we match our results with these scales. General considerations on heavy neutrino masses in the seesaw mechanism can be found in ref.. In the present paper we give a numerical analysis based on the hypotheses above and the experimental data on solar and atmospheric neutrinos.

## II Theory

Let us briefly explain the effect of the seesaw mechanism on the leptonic mixing. The part of the Lagrangian we have to consider is

$$\overline{e}_LM_ee_R+\overline{\nu }_LM_\nu \nu _R+g\overline{\nu }_Le_LW+\overline{\nu }_L^cM_R^{}\nu _R$$
(3)   
where $`M_e`$ and $`M_\nu `$ are the Dirac mass matrices of charged leptons and neutrinos respectively, and $`M_R^{}`$ is the Majorana mass matrix of right-handed neutrinos. If we assume the elements of $`M_R^{}`$ much greater than those of $`M_\nu `$, the seesaw mechanism leads to the effective Lagrangian

$$\overline{e}_LM_ee_R+\overline{\nu }_LM_L^{}\nu _R^c+g\overline{\nu }_Le_LW+\overline{\nu }_L^cM_R^{}\nu _R$$
(4)   
where

$$M_L^{}=M_\nu M_{R}^{}{}_{}{}^{1}M_\nu ^T$$
(5)   
is the Majorana mass matrix of left-handed neutrinos (in this context the left-handed neutrinos are called light neutrinos and the right-handed neutrinos are called heavy neutrinos). Diagonalization of $`M_e`$, $`M_L^{}`$ gives (renaming the fermion fields)

$$\overline{e}_LD_ee_R+\overline{\nu }_LD_L\nu _R^c+g\overline{\nu }_LV_{lep}e_LW+\overline{\nu }_L^cM_R^{}\nu _R.$$
(6)   
Of course we can also diagonalize $`M_R^{}`$ without changing other parts of this Lagrangian. The unitary matrix $`V_{lep}`$  describes the weak interactions of light neutrinos with charged leptons. The following steps clarify the structure of $`V_{lep}`$.

If in eqn.(3) we first diagonalize $`M_e`$ and $`M_\nu `$, obtaining

$$\overline{e}_LD_ee_R+\overline{\nu }_LD_\nu \nu _R+g\overline{\nu }_LV_De_LW+\overline{\nu }_L^cM_R\nu _R,$$
(7)   
then the seesaw mechanism gives

$$\overline{e}_LD_ee_R+\overline{\nu }_LM_L\nu _R^c+g\overline{\nu }_LV_De_LW+\overline{\nu }_L^cM_R\nu _R$$
(8)   
with

$$M_L=D_\nu M_R^1D_\nu .$$
(9)   
Then, we diagonalize also $`M_L`$,

$$\overline{e}_LD_ee_R+\overline{\nu }_LD_L\nu _R^c+g\overline{\nu }_LV_sV_De_LW+\overline{\nu }_L^cM_R\nu _R,$$
(10)   
and, comparing with eqn.(6), we recognize that

$$V_{lep}=V_sV_D$$
(11)   
where

$$V_sM_LV_s^T=D_L.$$
(12)   
We also understand that

$$V_{lep}=U^{},$$
(13)   
and point out that $`M_R^{}`$ ($`M_L^{}`$) differs from $`M_R`$ ($`M_L`$) by a unitary transformation, hence they have the same eigenvalues.

In the Lagrangian (3) it is possible to diagonalize $`M_e`$ or $`M_R`$ without changing the observables quantities. The same is not true for $`M_\nu `$. Moreover, $`M_e`$ and $`M_R`$ can be diagonalized simultaneously. In the Lagrangian (4) the following matrices can be diagonalized: $`M_e`$, $`M_L`$, $`M_R`$, both $`M_L`$ and $`M_R`$, both $`M_e`$ and $`M_R`$. When we set $`M_e=D_e`$ in eqn.(4) we have $`M_L=UD_LU^T`$, and when we set $`M_L=D_L`$ we get $`M_e=U^{}D_eU`$ if $`M_e`$ is chosen hermitian or $`M_eM_e^{}=U^{}D_e^2U`$ if $`M_e`$ contains three zeros .

## III Experiment

Experimental informations on neutrino masses and mixings are increasing rapidly. To be definite we refer to , where the matrix $`U`$ is written as

$$U=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}c_{12}& s_{12}& 0\\ s_{12}c_{23}& c_{12}c_{23}& s_{23}\\ s_{12}s_{23}& c_{12}s_{23}& c_{23}\end{array}\right).$$
(14)   
There is a zero in position 1-3, although it is only constrained to be much less than one . The experimental data on oscillation of atmospheric and solar neutrinos lead to three possible numerical forms for $`U`$, corresponding to the three solutions of the solar neutrino problem, namely small mixing and large mixing MSW (smMSW and lmMSW) , and vacuum oscillations (VO) . Choosing the central values of neutrino masses and of $`s_{12}`$ and $`s_{23}`$ from ref., we have always $`m_{\nu _3}=5.7\times 10^{11}`$ GeV, and

$$U=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0.04& 0\\ 0.032& 0.80& 0.60\\ 0.024& 0.60& 0.80\end{array}\right)U_1,$$
(15)   
$`m_{\nu _2}=2.8\times 10^{12}`$ GeV for small mixing MSW,

$$U=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}0.91& 0.42& 0\\ 0.336& 0.726& 0.60\\ 0.252& 0.544& 0.80\end{array}\right)U_2,$$
(16)   
$`m_{\nu _2}=4.4\times 10^{12}`$ GeV for large mixing MSW, and

$$U=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}0.80& 0.60& 0\\ 0.474& 0.632& 0.61\\ 0.366& 0.488& 0.79\end{array}\right)U_3,$$
(17)   
$`m_{\nu _2}=9.2\times 10^{15}`$ GeV for vacuum oscillations. We also consider maximal and bimaximal  mixing as limiting cases of $`U_1`$ and $`U_3`$, respectively:

$$U_m=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}1& 0& 0\\ 0& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\\ 0& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\end{array}\right),$$
(18)   
$$U_b=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}& 0\\ \frac{1}{2}& \frac{1}{2}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\\ \frac{1}{2}& \frac{1}{2}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\end{array}\right).$$
(19)   
Experimental data on oscillations only give $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{32}^2`$, $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{21}^2`$, from which, for hierarchical light neutrino masses, we yield the values of $`m_{\nu _3}`$, $`m_{\nu _2}`$, because $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{32}^2m_{\nu _3}^2`$, $`\mathrm{\Delta }m_{21}^2m_{\nu _2}^2`$. For $`m_{\nu _1}`$ we will assume $`m_{\nu _1}10^1m_{\nu _2}`$. From the unitary matrices written above we see that leptonic mixing between second and third family is large, while the mixing between first and second family may be large or small. It is well-known that in the quark sector all mixings are small.

## IV Calculation

Our determination of $`M_1,M_2,M_3`$ is based on the following assumptions. Looking at eqn.(11) we see that $`V_s`$ could be responsible of the enhancement of lepton mixing . Therefore, it is suggestive to assume that the matrix $`V_D`$ has just the form of the CKM matrix

$$V_D=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}1\frac{1}{2}\lambda ^2& \lambda & \lambda ^4\\ \lambda & 1\frac{1}{2}\lambda ^2& \lambda ^2\\ \lambda ^3\lambda ^4& \lambda ^2& 1\end{array}\right).$$
(20)   
This is similar to the form which might originate from GUTs 

$$V_D=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}1\frac{1}{18}\lambda ^2& \frac{1}{3}\lambda & \lambda ^4\\ \frac{1}{3}\lambda & 1\frac{1}{18}\lambda ^2& \lambda ^2\\ \frac{1}{3}\lambda ^3\lambda ^4& \lambda ^2& 1\end{array}\right),$$
(21)   
the difference being in the element $`V_{D12}`$, and this, in turn, to the $`V_D`$ which results from the analogy of ref., where $`V_{D23}2\lambda ^2`$. We also assume $`M_\nu M_u`$ or $`M_\nu M_e`$. In particular,

$$M_\nu =D_\nu =\frac{m_\tau }{m_b}D_u,$$
(22)   
where the factor is due to running , or

$$M_\nu =D_\nu =D_e.$$
(23)   
We use quark (and charged lepton) masses at the scale $`M_Z`$ as in ref.. It is important to notice that the values $`M_1,M_2,M_3`$ do not depend on the assumption $`M_\nu =D_\nu `$, because $`M_R`$ undergoes a unitary transformation. Also $`V_D`$ does not change if we rotate $`e_L`$ as $`\nu _L`$. In fact, one can always diagonalize $`M_u`$ without changing $`V_{CKM}`$ , and $`M_\nu `$ without changing both $`V_D`$ and $`M_1,M_2,M_3`$. We vary $`m_{\nu _1}`$ by three orders down from $`m_{\nu _1}=10^1m_{\nu _2}`$ to $`m_{\nu _1}=10^4m_{\nu _2}`$. In the tables we report our results (notation: $`xeyx\times 10^y`$, in GeV). They are obtained in the following way. From eqn.(11) we have

$$V_s=V_{lep}V_D^{};$$
(24)   
using eqn.(12) we get

$$M_L=V_s^TD_LV_s,$$
(25)   
and from eqn.(9) we obtain

$$M_R=D_\nu M_L^1D_\nu $$
(26)   
and then its eigenvalues. We see that in the case $`M_\nu M_u`$ the VO solution leads to a scale for $`M_3`$ well above the unification scale (around the Planck scale), while the MSW solutions are consistent with this scale. $`M_2`$ is around the intermediate scale. In the case $`M_\nu M_e`$ the VO solution gives $`M_3`$ near the unification scale, while the MSW solutions bring it near an intermediate scale. Also we notice that $`M_1`$ may be of the order $`10^6`$, a relatively small value . The huge value of $`M_3`$ in the VO case is due mainly to the lower values of $`m_{\nu _1}`$, $`m_{\nu _2}`$ respect to the MSW case. There is no substantial change if the factor $`m_\tau /m_b`$ is erased from eqn.(22): the numerical results are rescaled by the value 2.8. We have introduced such a factor because the relation $`M_uM_\nu `$ is typical of GUTs, where it is true at the unification scale, while the factor $`m_\tau /m_b`$ appears at low energy due to running. It can be checked that there is not an essential difference between the results obtained by eqn.(20) ($`V_DV_{CKM}`$) and those obtained by eqn.(21) ($`V_DV_{GUT}`$). In fact, numbers differ by no more than one order of magnitude. Moreover, comparing values in the two MSW cases, the effect of changes in $`m_{\nu _1}`$ is appearent: in the small mixing solution $`M_3`$ varies by one order, in the large mixing solution by three orders. If we want $`M_3`$ not to exceed the unification scale, then $`m_{\nu _1}`$ cannot be much smaller than $`m_{\nu _2}`$, in the large mixing MSW. Maximal and bimaximal mixings confirm the results obtained for small mixing MSW and vacuum oscillations, respectively.

|  | smMSW | lmMSW | VO | max | bimax |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $`M_1`$ | 1.3e6 | 6.8e5 | 2.5e6 | 1.1e6 | 4.0e6 |
|  | 1.6e6 | 2.3e6 | 3.1e9 | 1.2e6 | 3.7e9 |
| $`M_2`$ | 3.1e10 | 1.5e10 | 1.7e12 | 3.0e10 | 1.4e12 |
|  | 9.4e11 | 2.0e10 | 2.0e12 | 1.1e13 | 1.5e12 |
| $`M_3`$ | 1.7e15 | 2.8e15 | 2.2e18 | 2.2e15 | 3.7e18 |
|  | 4.7e16 | 1.9e18 | 1.9e21 | 5.0e15 | 3.3e21 |

Table 1: $`V_DV_{CKM},M_\nu M_u`$

|  | smMSW | lmMSW | VO | max | bimax |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $`M_1`$ | 1.7e5 | 8.6e4 | 2.2e5 | 1.4e5 | 1.7e5 |
|  | 2.0e5 | 9.7e4 | 1.3e7 | 1.6e5 | 1.4e7 |
| $`M_2`$ | 2.1e9 | 1.0e9 | 1.2e11 | 2.0e9 | 9.3e10 |
|  | 5.4e10 | 1.3e9 | 1.4e11 | 3.8e11 | 1.0e11 |
| $`M_3`$ | 5.0e11 | 7.9e11 | 6.1e14 | 6.2e11 | 1.0e15 |
|  | 1.5e13 | 5.3e14 | 5.2e17 | 2.8e12 | 9.3e17 |

Table 2: $`V_DV_{CKM},M_\nu M_e`$

As a matter of fact $`V_DV_{CKM}`$ and $`V_DV_{GUT}`$ are not so different from $`V_DI`$. In such a case $`V_{lep}V_s`$. The opposite case is $`V_{lep}V_D`$ and then $`V_sI`$, that is, when $`M_\nu =D_\nu `$ also $`M_R=D_R`$. From the seesaw mechanism we obtain

$$M_i=\frac{m_i^2}{m_{\nu _i}},$$
(27)   
which gives $`M_310^{14}`$, $`M_210^{10}`$, $`M_110^6÷10^9`$ (MSW), $`M_210^{13}`$, $`M_110^9÷10^{12}`$ (VO) GeV in the case $`M_\nu M_u`$; $`M_310^{10}`$, $`M_210^9`$, $`M_110^5÷10^8`$ (MSW), $`M_210^{12}`$, $`M_110^8÷10^{11}`$ (VO) GeV in the case $`M_\nu M_e`$. In the VO solution with $`M_\nu M_e`$, $`M_2`$ exceeds $`M_3`$, and also $`M_1`$ can do it.

Let us now briefly discuss the sensitivity to input mixing angles of the results reported in the first three columns of tables 1,2. By allowing $`s_{12}`$ and $`s_{23}`$ to vary inside the ranges reported in ref. we have found that the numerical values of right-handed neutrino masses change by no more than one order of magnitude. The same happens if $`U_{13}`$ is different from zero up to 0.1. Therefore the above considerations on the physical scales do not change.

It is also interesting to match our results, obtained by a hierarchical spectrum, with the degenerate spectrum and the democratic mixing 

$$U_d=\left(\begin{array}{ccc}\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}& 0\\ \frac{1}{\sqrt{6}}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{6}}& \frac{2}{\sqrt{6}}\\ \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}& \frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\end{array}\right).$$
(28)   
Assuming as light neutrino mass $`m_0=2`$ eV, relevant for hot dark matter, and the democrating mixing $`U=U_d`$, we obtain $`M_1=9.2\times 10^2`$, $`M_2=7.7\times 10^7`$, $`M_3=5.5\times 10^{12}`$ GeV for $`M_\nu M_u`$ and $`M_1=1.2\times 10^2`$, $`M_2=5.3\times 10^6`$, $`M_3=1.5\times 10^9`$ GeV for $`M_\nu M_e`$, that is $`M_3`$ at the intermediate scale and $`M_1`$ even at the electroweak scale. From eqns.(25),(26) we see that in the case of degenerate masses $`M_R`$ is proportional to $`1/m_0`$ and one can easily obtain $`M_3`$ when $`m_0`$ is lowered.

## V Conclusion

We have calculated the heavy neutrino masses in a seesaw framework, under simple hypotheses on the Dirac sector, and using experimental limits on light neutrino masses and mixings. The results have been matched with intermediate and unification scales. A key result is that the large mixing MSW solution can be reconciled with GUTs. The analysis can be improved when more precise data will be available. Also the effect of phases should be considered . There are several recent studies about the seesaw mechanism , based on various forms of mass matrices; a nice review is in ref.. Instead, in this paper, we work on the matrix $`V_D`$ and on $`D_\nu `$, that is the leptonic quantities which correspond, in the quark sector, to the observable quantities.