The Standard Model of Particle Physics with Diracian Neutrino Sector

Abstract

The minimally extended standard model of particle physics contains three right handed or sterile neutrinos, coupled to the active ones by a Dirac mass matrix and mutually by a Majorana mass matrix. In the pseudo-Dirac case, the Majorana terms are small and maximal mixing of active and sterile states occurs, which is generally excluded for solar neutrinos. In a “Diracian” limit, the physical masses become pairwise degenerate and the neutrinos attain a Dirac signature. Members of a pair do not oscillate mutually so that their mixing can be undone, and the standard neutrino model follows as a limit. While two Majorana phases become physical Dirac phases and three extra mass parameters occur, a better description of data is offered. Oscillation problems are worked out in vacuum and in matter. With lepton number –1 assigned to the sterile neutrinos, the model still violates lepton number conservation and allows very feeble neutrinoless double beta decay. It supports a sterile neutrino interpretation of Earth-traversing ultra high energy events detected by ANITA.