Large neutrino mixing angles in unified theories

Typically in unified theories the neutrino mixing angles, like the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) angles of the quarks, are related to the small mass ratios between fermions of different generations and are therefore quite small. A new approach for explaining the intergenerational mass hierarchies is proposed here which, while giving small CKM angles, naturally leads to neutrino angles of order unity. Such large mixing angles may be required for a resolution of the atmospheric neutrino anomaly and may also be relevant for the solar neutrino puzzle. The mechanism presented here provides a framework in which novel approaches to the fermion mass question can arise. In particular, within this framework a variant of the texture idea allows highly predictive models to be constructed, an illustrative example of which is given. It is shown how the neutrino mixing angles may be completely determined in such schemes.