Eur. Phys. J. C (2011) 71: 1641
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-011-1641-2

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Texture zeros for the Standard Model quark mass matrices

¹ Instituto de Física, Universidad de Antioquia, A.A. 1226, Medellín, Colombia
² Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano, Facultad de Ciencias, Medellín, Colombia

^* e-mail: ribebenavides@gmail.com

Received: 3 February 2011
Revised: 13 April 2011
Published online: 24 May 2011

Abstract

A way of counting free parameters in the quark mass matrices of the standard model, including the constraints coming from weak basis transformations, is presented; this allows one to understand the exact physical meaning of the parallel and non-parallel texture zeros which appear in some “ansätze” of the 3×3 quark mass matrices, including the CP violation phenomena in the analysis; it is shown why the six texture zeros are ruled out. Finally, a five texture zeros “ansatz” which properly copes with all experimental constrains, including the angles of the unitary triangle, is presented.