Can a Particle Change Its Identity? The Mystery of the Neutrino
Neutrinos are incredibly small and fast fundamental particles. They have almost no mass.
Neutrinos are incredibly small and fast fundamental particles. They have almost no mass. About 100 trillion neutrinos from the sun pass through your body every second, but only about 1 of those neutrinos interact with an atom in your body.
Neutrino Flavors
Neutrinos are created with a type, or a flavor. These flavors are names of Leptons. Leptons are particles on the Standard Model of particle physics, shown as an Electron, a Muon or a Tau. The different types of Neutrinos are Electron neutrinos, Muon neutrinos and Tau neutrinos.
What is Neutrino Oscillation
Neutrino Oscillation is the process of a Neutrino changing flavor as it travels. If a neutrino starts as one flavor, it is entirely possible for it to be measured with a different flavor later on. If a neutrino starts it’s journey as a Muon neutrino and it travels and accelerates, in the middle of its journey it could transform, or oscillate into an Electron Neutrino, then later, it becomes a Tau Neutrino, and even later, it can turn back into a Muon Neutrino.
Example of Neutrino Oscillation using real life objects
The ice cream flavors represent flavors of Neutrinos. If the following are true:
Electron Neutrino = Vanilla
Muon Neutrino = Chocolate
Tau Neutrino = Strawberry
A Neutrino can start as Chocolate (Muon Neutrino), then in the middle of its journey it oscillates into Vanilla (Electron Neutrino), then later, it oscillates into Strawberry (Tau Neutrino) and even later, it turns back into Chocolate (Muon Neutrino).
Why do Neutrinos oscillate?
For this process to occur, the Neutrinos must have mass. For a long duration, scientists thought that Neutrinos were massless, but once there was evidence of Neutrinos oscillating, they figured that they had to have some mass. In the quantum world, it is possible for a particle to be in multiple states, simultaneously. A Neutrino’s flavor is a combination of different quantum states.
Do we know everything about Neutrinos?
Scientists are still studying these ghostly particles, but they’ve helped revolutionize quantum physics by being the key to unlock many concepts and mysteries, though some still remain mysterious. As quantum progresses, scientists will find out more and more about Neutrinos and Neutrino Oscillation, they’ll unlock more mysteries, and answer more questions - but we’ll never be done. Questions will keep on being asked, and it’s our job to revolutionize further, and answer them.