The simplest neutrino mass matrix

We motivate the simplest ansatz for the neutrino mass matrix consistent with the data from neutrino oscillation experiments, and admitting CP violation. It has only two free parameters: an arbitrary mass-scale and a small dimensionless ratio. This mass matrix exhibits two symmetries, democracy and mutativity, which respectively ensure trimaximal mixing of the \nu(2)> mass eigenstate, and mixing parameter values \theta(23)\ = 45degrees and \delta\ = 90degrees, consistent with bimaximal mixing of the \nu(3)> mass eigenstate. A third constraint relates the smallness of \U-e3\ to that of the mass-squared difference ratio, Delta(msol)(2)/Deltam(atm)(2), yielding the prediction sintheta(13) = root2Deltam(sol)(2)/3Deltam(atm)(2) similar or equal to 0.13+/-0.03. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V.