Endless Facts, One Snippet at a Time
Neutrino Physics: Unlocking the Secrets of Ghost Particles
- Neutrinos are nearly massless, neutral particles that rarely interact with matter, earning the nickname “ghost particles.”
- Trillions of neutrinos pass through your body every second without you noticing.
- They come in three “flavors”: electron, muon, and tau neutrinos, which can oscillate between types.
- Neutrino oscillation revealed that neutrinos have mass, a groundbreaking discovery in particle physics.
- These elusive particles are produced in the Sun, nuclear reactors, supernovae, and cosmic rays.
- Detecting neutrinos requires massive underground detectors, often buried under mountains or ice.
- Neutrino research helps scientists understand the inner workings of stars and supernovae.
- Neutrinos may hold clues to why the universe is dominated by matter over antimatter.
- Experiments like IceCube, Super-Kamiokande, and DUNE push the boundaries of neutrino physics.
- Unlocking neutrino secrets could answer fundamental questions about particle physics, astrophysics, and the evolution of the cosmos.