Naturally Light Sterile Neutrinos in Gauge Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking

Abstract

Moduli are generic in string (M) theory. In a large class of gauge-mediated Supersymmetry breaking models, the fermionic components of such fields have very light masses, around the eV scale, and non-negligible mixing with active neutrinos, of order $10^{-4}$. Consequently, these fermions could play the role of sterile neutrinos to which active neutrinos oscillate, thus affecting measurements of solar neutrinos or of atmospheric neutrinos. They could also provide warm dark matter, thus affecting structure formation.