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  • Open Access

Flavor hierarchies with nonminimal irreducible representations

Hannah Banks1,2, Graeme Crawford3, Matthew McCullough4, and Dave Sutherland3

  • 1Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, United Kingdom
  • 2Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics, Department of Physics, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
  • 3School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
  • 4Theoretical Physics Department, CERN, 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 015025 – Published 20 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/9d53-lxp1

Abstract

We propose a new class of flavor models in which the spurion that breaks Standard Model flavor symmetries transforms in a nonminimal representation. Hierarchies in fermion masses, which arise from multiple insertions of this spurion, may be generated in a technically natural, accidental manner, from a handful of untuned O(1) elements in the UV. This relies explicitly on the non-Abelian nature of the symmetry, distinguishing it from standard Froggatt-Nielsen-like scenarios. The pattern of flavor violating operators at dimension-6 can radically differ from previously considered scenarios, and emphasises the need for a broad flavor program across all generations.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, 015025– Published 20 January, 2026
  • Received 24 October 2025
  • Accepted 22 December 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

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