Tri-bimaximal Neutrino Mixing from Orbifolding

Abstract

We show that the A4 discrete symmetry that naturally leads to tri-bimaximal neutrino mixing can be simply obtained as a result of an orbifolding starting from a model in 6 dimensions. This particular orbifolding has four fixed points where 4 dimensional branes are located and the tetrahedral symmetry of A4 connects these branes. In this approach A4 appears after the reduction from six to four dimensions as a remnant of the 6D space-time symmetry. A previously discussed supersymmetric version of A4 is reinterpreted along these lines.