Abstract: The even-weight modular forms of level N can be arranged into the common irreducible representations of the inhomogeneous finite modular group Gamma(N) and the homogeneous finite modular group Gamma(N)' which is the double covering of Gamma(N) , and the odd-weight modular forms of level N transform in the new representations of Gamma(N)'. We find that the above structure of modular forms can naturally generate texture zeros of the fermion mass matrices if we properly assign the representations and weights of the matter fields under the modular group. We perform a comprehensive analysis for the Gamma(3)' congruent to T' modular symmetry. The three generations of left-handed quarks are assumed to transform as a doublet and a singlet of T', and we find six possible texture-zero structures of the quark mass matrix up to row and column permutations. We present five benchmark quark models which can produce very good fits to the experimental data. These quark models are further extended to include the lepton sector, and the resulting models can give a unified description of both quark and lepton masses and flavor mixing simultaneously, although they contain a smaller number of free parameters than the observables.

Abstract: We propose a generalized version of the tribimaximal (TBM) ansatz for lepton mixing, leading to a nonzero reactor angle theta(13) and CP violation. The latter is characterized by two CP phases. The Dirac phase, affecting neutrino oscillations, is nearly maximal (delta(CP) similar to +/- pi/2), while the Majorana phase implies narrow allowed ranges for the neutrinoless double beta decay amplitude. The solar angle theta(12) lies nearly at its TBM value, while the atmospheric angle theta(23) has the TBM value for a maximal delta(CP). Neutrino oscillation predictions can be tested in present and upcoming experiments.

Abstract: We explore two bilarge neutrino mixing Anzatze within the context of Abelian flavor symmetry theories: (BL1) sin theta(12) similar to lambda, sin theta(13) similar to lambda, sin theta(23) similar to lambda, and (BL2) sin theta(12) similar to lambda, sin theta(13) similar to lambda, sin theta(23) similar to 1 – lambda. The first pattern is proposed by two of us and is favored if the atmospheric mixing angle theta(23) lies in the first octant, while the second one is preferred for the second octant of theta(23). In order to reproduce the second texture, we find that the flavor symmetry should be U(1) x Z(m), while for the first pattern the flavor symmetry should be extended to U(1) x Z(m) x Z(n) with m and n of different parity. Explicit models for both mixing patterns are constructed based on the flavor symmetries U(1) x Z(3) x Z(4) and U(1) x Z(2). The models are extended to the quark sector within the framework of SU(5) grand unified theory in order to give a successful description of quark and lepton masses and mixing simultaneously. Phenomenological implications are discussed.