Since neutrinos belong to the family of leptons, they are not subject to the strong force. Currently (2015), it is not resolved, whether the neutrino and its antiparticle are not identical particles.Ĭarrying no electric charge they are not affected by electromagnetic forces that act on another charged leptons, such as electrons. The second generation consist of the muon (μ −) and muon neutrino (ν μ) The third generation consist of the tau (τ −) and the tau neutrino (ν τ). Each type of neutrino is associated with an antimatter particle, called an antineutrino, which also has neutral electric charge and 1/2 spin. ![]() The first generation consist of the electron (e −) and electron-neutrino (ν e). ![]() There are three types of charged leptons, each associated with neutrino, forming three generations (between generations, particle differ by their quantum number and mass). The term neutrino comes from Italian meaning “little neutral one” and neutrinos are denoted by the Greek letter ν (nu). Neutrinos are weakly interacting subatomic particles with ½ unit of spin. Neutrinos belong to the family of leptons, which means they do not interact via strong nuclear force. The neutrino has been around for a while now-Pauli first hypothesized its existence in 1931.A neutrino is an elementary subatomic particle with infinitesimal mass (less than 0.3 eV.?) and with no electric charge. This opens up many exciting science options ranging from neutrino astronomy to studying neutrino properties at energies that can’t be reached at accelerator facilities. The amount of light and the pattern it produces allow scientists to estimate the energy, direction, and identity of the original neutrino. IceCube measures the light generated by secondary particles produced when neutrinos, with energies of thousands to billions of times greater than the fusion reactions that power the sun, interact in the South Pole ice. A neutrino that does interact produces electrically charged particles that can produce a readily measurable signal in a transparent medium. Most neutrinos zoom right through matter, leaving no detectable presence. IceCube is designed to identify the byproducts of neutrino interactions. In this artistic rendering, based on a real image of the IceCube Lab at the South Pole, a distant source emits neutrinos that are detected below the ice by IceCube sensors, called DOMs. What do neutrinos have to do with IceCube? A collision involving a high-energy proton will also produce neutrinos, so cosmic ray sources also produce neutrinos. ![]() Other neutrinos are continuously being produced from nuclear power stations, particle accelerators, nuclear bombs, and general atmospheric phenomena as well as from the births, collisions, and deaths of stars, particularly the explosions of supernovas. They constitute a cosmic neutrino background radiation similar to the more familiar cosmic microwave background radiation. Since that time, the universe has continuously expanded and cooled, and neutrinos have just kept on going. Where do they come from?įrom what we know today, a majority of the neutrinos zooming through space were born around 15 billion years ago, soon after the birth of the universe. Their unique advantage arises from a fundamental property: they are affected only by the weakest of nature’s forces (except for gravity) and are therefore essentially unabsorbed as they travel cosmological distances between their origins and us. Copiously produced in high-energy collisions, traveling essentially at the speed of light, and unaffected by magnetic fields, neutrinos meet the basic requirements for astronomy. Our current understanding indicates that there are three different types of neutrinos, each relating to a charged particle.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |