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Spontaneous breaking of SU(3) to finite family symmetries — a pedestrian’s approach

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Abstract

Non-Abelian discrete family symmetries play a pivotal role in the formulation of models with tri-bimaximal lepton mixing. We discuss how to obtain symmetries such as \( {\mathcal{A}_4} \), \( {\mathcal{Z}_7} \) ⋊ \( {\mathcal{Z}_3} \) and Δ(27) from an underlying SU(3) gauge symmetry. Higher irreducible representations are required to achieve the spontaneous breaking of the continuous group. We present methods of identifying the required vacuum alignments and discuss in detail the symmetry breaking potentials.

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  1. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom

    Christoph Luhn

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  1. Christoph Luhn
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ArXiv ePrint: 1101.2417

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Luhn, C. Spontaneous breaking of SU(3) to finite family symmetries — a pedestrian’s approach. J. High Energ. Phys. 2011, 108 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2011)108

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2011)108

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