Abstract: In this seminar I will start by generalising concepts used in the Standard Model (of Particle Physics). My first goal is to show how symmetries acting non-trivially on the generations (by relating e.g. the electron, muon and tau leptons), i.e., family symmetries, can address issues related to flavour when they are broken in specific patterns. After this I will introduce some examples of non-Abelian discrete symmetries to illustrate their advantages over Abelian and over continuous symmetries – precisely because they are easier to break in interesting directions. On the final part of my talk I will discuss some subtleties that arise when CP symmetries are introduced together with family symmetries. The talk is intended to be accessible to physicists that are only superficially familiar with the Standard Model (I will assume that the audience knows about Field Theory and Lagrangians, but I do not assume knowledge of group theory).
Ivo de Medeiros Varzielas (University of Southampton)