neutrino

Thân thiện

A scientist explains the path of a neutrino through a detector.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An elementary particle with zero charge and zero mass: A neutrino is a fundamental subatomic particle. It is electrically neutral (has zero charge) and for a long time was thought to have zero mass, though modern physics now suggests it has an extremely tiny, non-zero mass. Neutrinos interact with matter only via the weak nuclear force and gravity, making them incredibly difficult to detect.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Scientists detected a neutrino from a distant supernova.
  • The experiment is designed to study the properties of the neutrino.
  • Because neutrinos rarely interact, trillions pass through your body every second.

Advanced Usage

• "Neutrino oscillation": A quantum phenomenon where a neutrino changes its type (or "flavor") as it travels through space. This discovery proved that neutrinos must have mass.

  • The Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of neutrino oscillation.

• "Relic neutrino": Neutrinos that were created in the first second after the Big Bang and still permeate the universe.

  • Detecting relic neutrinos is a major goal of cosmology.

Variants and Related Words

• Neutrinoless (adj): Referring to a theoretical process, such as double beta decay, that occurs without the emission of neutrinos.
  • Observing neutrinoless double beta decay would prove the neutrino is its own antiparticle.

Synonyms

• Elementary particle: A fundamental constituent of matter. (This is the category the neutrino belongs to.)
• Lepton: A class of elementary particles that includes electrons, muons, taus, and their associated neutrinos. (This is the family the neutrino belongs to.)

Related Phrases and Terms

• "Electron neutrino": One of the three known flavors (types) of neutrino, associated with the electron.
• "Muon neutrino": A neutrino flavor associated with the muon particle.
• "Tau neutrino": A neutrino flavor associated with the tau particle.
• "Solar neutrino": A neutrino produced by nuclear fusion in the Sun's core.
  • The solar neutrino problem led to important discoveries in particle physics.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an elementary particle with zero charge and zero mass