Quark-lepton symmetry in five dimensions

We construct a complete five dimensional quark-lepton symmetric model, with all fields propagating in the bulk. The extra dimension forms an S1/Z2xZ2' orbifold with the zero mode fermions corresponding to standard model quarks localized at one fixed point. Zero modes corresponding to left (right)-chiral leptons are localized at (near) the other fixed point. This localization pattern is motivated by the symmetries of the model. Shifting the right-handed neutrinos and charged leptons slightly from the fixed point provides a new mechanism for understanding the absence of relations of the type me=mu or me=md in quark-lepton symmetric models. Flavor changing neutral currents resulting from Kaluza-Klein gluon exchange, which typically arise in the quark sector of split fermion models, are suppressed due to the localization of quarks at one point. The separation of quarks and leptons in the compact extra dimension also acts to suppress the proton decay rate. This permits the extra dimension to be much larger than that obtained in a previous construct, with the bound 1/R > or approx. 30 TeV obtained