Abstract: An observation of any lepton number violating process will undoubtedly point towards the existence of new physics and indirectly to the clear Majorana nature of the exchanged fermion. In this work, we explore the potential of a minimal extension of the Standard Model via heavy sterile fermions with masses in the [0.1-10] GeV range concerning an extensive array of “neutrinoless” meson and tau decay processes. We assume that the Majorana neutrinos are produced on-shell, and focus on three-body decays. We conduct an update on the bounds on the active-sterile mixing elements, vertical bar U-l alpha 4,U-l beta 4 vertical bar, taking into account the most recent experimental bounds (and constraints) and new theoretical inputs, as well as the effects of a finite detector, imposing that the heavy neutrino decay within the detector. This allows to establish up-to-date comprehensive constraints on the sterile fermion parameter space. Our results suggest that the branching fractions of several decays are close to current sensitivities (likely within reach of future facilities), some being already in conflict with current data (as is the case of K-broken vertical bar -> l(alpha)(broken vertical bar)+l(beta)(+)pi(-), and tau(-)->mu(broken vertical bar)pi(-)pi(-)). We use these processes to extract constraints on all entries of an enlarged definition of a 3 x 3 “effective” Majorana neutrino mass matrix m(v)(alpha beta).

Abstract: Electric dipole moments are extremely sensitive probes for additional sources of CP violation in new physics models. Specifically, they have been argued in the past to exclude new CP-violating phases in two-Higgs-doublet models. Since recently models including such phases have been discussed widely, we revisit the available constraints in the presence of mechanisms which are typically invoked to evade flavour-changing neutral currents. To that aim, we start by assessing the necessary calculations on the hadronic, nuclear and atomic/molecular level, deriving expressions with conservative error estimates. Their phenomenological analysis in the context of two-Higgs-doublet models yields strong constraints, in some cases weakened by a cancellation mechanism among contributions from neutral scalars. While the corresponding parameter combinations do not yet have to be unnaturally small, the constraints are likely to preclude large effects in other CP-violating observables. Nevertheless, the generically expected contributions to electric dipole moments in this class of models lie within the projected sensitivity of the next-generation experiments.

Abstract: We examine the simplest realization of the linear seesaw mechanism within the Standard Model gauge structure. Besides the standard scalar doublet, there are two lepton-number-carrying scalars, a nearly inert SU(2)(L) doublet and a singlet. Neutrino masses result from the spontaneous violation of lepton number, implying the existence of a Nambu-Goldstone boson. Such “majoron” would be copiously produced in stars, leading to stringent astrophysical constraints. We study the profile of the Higgs bosons in this model, including their effective couplings to the vector bosons and their invisible decay branching ratios. A consistent electroweak symmetry breaking pattern emerges with a compressed spectrum of scalars in which the “Standard Model” Higgs boson can have a sizeable invisible decay into the invisible majorons.