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The nature of neutrino masses and the matter-antimatter asymmetry of our universe are two of the most important open problems in particle physics today and are notoriously difficult to test with current technology. Dirac neutrinos offer a solution through a leptogenesis mechanism that hinges on the smallness of neutrino masses and resultant non-thermalization of the right-handed neutrino partners in the early universe. We thoroughly explore possible realizations of this Dirac leptogenesis idea, revealing new windows for highly efficient asymmetry generation. In many of them, the number of relativistic degrees of freedom, Neff, is severely enhanced compared to standard cosmology and offers a novel handle to constrain Dirac leptogenesis with upcoming measurements of the cosmic microwave background. Realizations involving leptoquarks even allow for low-scale post-sphaleron baryogenesis and predict proton decay. These novel aspects render Dirac leptogenesis surprisingly testable.
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This content will become publicly available on September 30, 2025
Dirac leptogenesis from asymmetry wash-in via scatterings
Leptogenesis typically requires the introduction of heavy particles whose out-of-equilibrium decays are essential for generating a matter-antimatter asymmetry, according to one of Sakharov's conditions. We demonstrate that in Dirac leptogenesis, scatterings between the light degrees of freedom - Standard Model particles plus Dirac neutrinos - are sufficient to generate the asymmetry. Due to its vanishing source term in the Boltzmann equations, the asymmetry of right-handed neutrinos solely arises through wash-in processes. Sakharov's conditions are satisfied because the right-handed neutrino partners are out of equilibrium. Consequently, heavy degrees of freedom never needed to be produced in the early universe, allowing for a reheating temperature well below their mass scale. Considering a minimal leptoquark model, we discuss the viable parameter space along with the observational signature of an increased number of effective neutrinos in the early universe.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2210428
- PAR ID:
- 10546177
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Physical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review D
- Volume:
- 110
- Issue:
- 5
- ISSN:
- 2470-0010
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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