Naturally light sterile neutrinos

Abstract

A simple model to accomodate light sterile neutrinos naturally with large mixing with the usual neutrinos has been proposed. The standard model gauge group is extended to include an $SU(2)_S$ gauge symmetry. Heavy triplet higgs scalars give small masses to the left-handed neutrinos, while a heavy doublet higgs scalar give mixing with the sterile neutrinos of the same order of magnitude. The neutrino mass matrix thus obtained can explain the solar neutrino deficit, the atmospheric neutrino deficit, the LSND data and hot dark matter. Lepton number is violated here through decays of the heavy triplet higgs, which generates the lepton asymmetry of the universe, which in turn generates a baryon asymmetry of the universe.