YANG–MILLS DUALITY AS THE ORIGIN OF FERMION GENERATIONS
Abstract
A non-Abelian extension of electric-magnetic duality implies that dual to confined colour SU(3), there also ought to be a broken threefold symmetry which can play the role of fermion generations. A model constructed on these premises not only gives a raison d'être for 3 and only 3 generations as observed but also offers a natural explanation for the distinctive fermion mass and mixing patterns seen in experiment. A calculation to one-loop order in this model with only 3 fitted parameters already gives correct values, all within present experimental errors, for the following quantities: the mass ratios mc/mt, ms/mb, mμ/mτ, all 9 matrix elements of the CKM mixing matrix |Vrs| for quarks, plus the lepton MNS mixing matrix elements |Uμ3| and |Ue3| studied in neutrino oscillation experiments with respectively atmospheric and reactor neutrinos.
Contribution to the International Symposium on Frontiers of Science: In Celebration of the 80th Birthday of Chen Ning Yang (17–19 June 2002, Beijing).
