keV sterile neutrino dark matter and neutrino model building

Abstract

A sterile neutrino with a mass around the keV scale could be an interesting candidate for warm dark matter. Although there are several scenarios and production mechanisms known in which such a particle could yield the correct abundance, there are astonishingly few models around that can actually yield an explanation for the appearance of a keV-like scale. We here review three main classes of such mass models for keV sterile neutrino dark matter, based on split seesaw, on Le - Lμ - Lτ symmetry, and on the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism, respectively.