Flavon exchange effects in models with abelian flavor symmetry

Abstract

In models with abelian flavor symmetry the small mixing angles and mass ratios of quarks and leptons are typically given by powers of small parameters characterizing the spontaneous breaking of flavor symmetry by "flavon" fields. If the scale of the breaking of flavor symmetry is near the weak scale, flavon exchange can lead to interesting flavor-violating and CP violating effects. These are studied. It is found that d_e, mu -> e + gamma, and mu-e conversion on nuclei can be near present limits. For significant range of parameters mu-e conversion can be the most sensitive way to look for such effects.