Radical Conservatism and Nucleon Decay

Abstract

Unification of couplings, observation of neutrino masses in the expected range, and several other considerations confirm central implications of straightforward gauge unification based on SO(10) or a close relative and incorporating low-energy supersymmetry. The remaining outstanding consequence of this circle of ideas, yet to be observed, is nucleon instability. Clearly, we should aspire to be as specific as possible regarding the rate and form of such instability. I argue that not only esthetics, but also the observed precision of unification of couplings, favors an economical symmetry-breaking (Higgs) structure. Assuming this, one can exploit its constraints to build reasonably economical, overconstrained yet phenomenologically viable models of quark and lepton masses. Putting it all together, one arrives at reasonably concrete, hopeful expectations regarding nucleon decay. These expectations are neither ruled out by existing experiments, nor hopelessly inaccessible.