S₄ Flavor Symmetry Embedded into SU(3) and Lepton Masses and Mixing

Based on an assumption that an S_4 flavor symmetry is embedded into SU(3), a lepton mass matrix model is investigated. A Frogatt-Nielsen type model is assumed, and the flavor structures of the masses and mixing are caused by VEVs of SU(2)_L-singlet scalars \phi_u and \phi_d which are nonets (8+1) of the SU(3) flavor symmetry, and which are broken into 2+3+3' and 1 of S_4. If we require the invariance under the transformation (\phi^{(8)},\phi^{(1)}) \to (-\phi^{(8)},+\phi^{(1)}) for the superpotential of the nonet field \phi^{(8+1)}, the model leads to a beautiful relation for the charged lepton masses. The observed tribimaximal neutrino mixing is understood by assuming two SU(3) singlet right-handed neutrinos \nu_R^{(\pm)} and an SU(3) triplet scalar \chi.