In the framework of the seesaw models with triplets of fermions, we evaluate the decay rates of $\mu \to e\gamma$ and $\tau \to l\gamma$ transitions. We show that although, due to neutrino mass constraints, those rates are in general expected to be well under the present experimental limits, this is not necessarily always the case. Interestingly enough, the observation of one of those decays in planned experiments would nevertheless contradict bounds stemming from present experimental limits on the $\mu \to eee$ and $\tau \to 3l$ decay rates, as well as from $\mu$ to $e$ conversion in atomic nuclei. Such detection of radiative decays would therefore imply that there exist sources of lepton flavor violation not associated to triplet fermions.

• Received 9 May 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.78.033007