Reheating Effects on Charged Lepton Yukawa Equilibration and Leptogenesis

Abstract

We show that accounting for a non-instantaneous reheating phase after inflation can significantly modify the charged lepton Yukawa equilibration temperature in the early Universe. This finding calls for revisiting the role of lepton flavors in leptogenesis models where right-handed neutrinos are produced and decay during the extended reheating period. Our analysis reveals that this effect can induce shifts in the flavor regime(s) of leptogenesis relative to standard scenario.