A flavor symmetry model for bilarge leptonic mixing and the lepton masses

We present a model for leptonic mixing and the lepton masses based on flavor symmetries and higher-dimensional mass operators. The model predicts bilarge leptonic mixing (i.e., the mixing angles theta(12) and theta(23) are large and the mixing angle theta(13) is small) and an inverted hierarchical neutrino mass spectrum. Furthermore, it approximately yields the experimental hierarchical mass spectrum of the charged leptons. The obtained values for the leptonic mixing parameters and the neutrino mass squared differences are all in agreement with atmospheric neutrino data, the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein large mixing angle solution of the solar neutrino problem, and consistent with the upper bound on the reactor mixing angle. Thus, we have a large, but not close to maximal, solar mixing angle theta(12), a nearly maximal atmospheric mixing angle theta(23), and a small reactor mixing angle theta(13). In addition, the model predicts theta(12) similar or equal to pi/4 - theta(13). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.