Massive Neutrinos: A Scotogenic Extension with Gauged Lepton Number

Abstract

This thesis addresses two significant aspects of contemporary physics: the generation of neutrino mass and the study of dark matter. Despite being initially considered massless in the Standard Model of particle physics, experimental evidence now confirms that neutrinos do possess mass. In this work, we examine popular mechanisms explaining neutrino mass generation and present a model that not only provides a mechanism to origin neutrino mass but also introduces dark matter candidates. Following an introduction to Group Theory and the Standard Model, we explore mechanisms for neutrino mass generation and review key concepts related to dark matter. The scotogenic model is presented and serves as the foundation of our theoretical framework, extending the Standard Model by elevating lepton number to a gauge symmetry. This additional symmetry necessitates the introduction of extra particles, and we describe their interactions and resulting phenomenology. The results of this thesis will be extended in a future publication. By exploring the connections between neutrino masses and dark matter within models beyond the Standard Model, we aim to deepen our understanding of fundamental particles and their role in shaping the universe.