What is the velocity of neutrinos, and do their interact with the HIggs field?

In summary, neutrinos have a velocity very close to the speed of light, which can vary depending on their energy. The exact mechanism for how they acquire mass is still unknown, but it is believed to be through the same Higgs mechanism as other particles. However, this requires the existence of right-handed neutrinos and a very small coupling to the Higgs field. There are other proposed methods for neutrino mass, but they require additional new physics that has not been observed yet. Neutrinos cannot be candidates for cold dark matter due to their low mass. The mass of neutrinos is considered to be rest mass, but it is very small and difficult to measure directly.
  • #1
ensabah6
695
0
If Neutrinos have mass, What is the velocity of neutrinos,
can they "slow down" due to gravity, and do their acquire their mass from interactions with the HIggs field?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
For neutrinos of reasonable energy, the velocity will be extremely close to the speed of light; but, it will depend on how much energy they have, just as with any other particle.

It is not currently know exactly how neutrinos acquire mass. There are quite a few models out there. The simplest mechanism is the same Higgs mechanism through which all the other particles acquire mass. However, this requires two things. First, there must be right-handed neutrinos, which no one has ever seen. And, the neutrino coupling to the Higgs field must be ridiculously small (something like 8 orders of magnitude smaller than the electron Higgs coupling). This second requirement, in particular, has led people to look for other ways to make the neutrino mass small more naturally. However, every such method requires adding new physics that there is no experimental evidence for. So, suffice it to say, this is still an open question.
 
  • #3
Parlyne said:
For neutrinos of reasonable energy, the velocity will be extremely close to the speed of light; but, it will depend on how much energy they have, just as with any other particle.

It is not currently know exactly how neutrinos acquire mass. There are quite a few models out there. The simplest mechanism is the same Higgs mechanism through which all the other particles acquire mass. However, this requires two things. First, there must be right-handed neutrinos, which no one has ever seen. And, the neutrino coupling to the Higgs field must be ridiculously small (something like 8 orders of magnitude smaller than the electron Higgs coupling). This second requirement, in particular, has led people to look for other ways to make the neutrino mass small more naturally. However, every such method requires adding new physics that there is no experimental evidence for. So, suffice it to say, this is still an open question.

So could neutrinos with really low kinetic energy be cold dark matter candidate? Presumably gravity can slow them down.

Is the mass of neutrinos rest mass?
 
  • #4
ensabah6 said:
So could neutrinos with really low kinetic energy be cold dark matter candidate? Presumably gravity can slow them down.

No, I'm afraid not. They just don't have enough mass to be able to form the halos of galaxies early in the universe's evolution. They would have to have had far less kinetic energy than we know them to have had.

Is the mass of neutrinos rest mass?

Yes. When people talk about the mass of any fundamental particle, what they mean is rest mass (or, equivalently, what you get by calculating [tex]\frac{\sqrt{E^2 - p^2c^2}}{c^2}[/tex]). In the case of neutrinos, though, this is so small that we can't measure it directly. In fact, so far all the neutrino mass measurements we have are actually measurements in the differences between the squares of the masses of different neutrino species. We don't actually know the overall scale of the masses.
 

1. What is the velocity of neutrinos?

The velocity of neutrinos is very close to the speed of light, which is about 299,792,458 meters per second. However, the exact velocity of neutrinos can vary depending on their energy and the medium they are traveling through.

2. Do neutrinos interact with the Higgs field?

Yes, neutrinos do interact with the Higgs field. The Higgs field is a fundamental field that gives particles mass. Neutrinos, being massive particles, interact with this field through the Higgs mechanism.

3. How do neutrinos interact with the Higgs field?

The interaction between neutrinos and the Higgs field is through the Higgs mechanism, which is responsible for giving particles mass. The Higgs field is present throughout space and when neutrinos travel through it, they interact with the field, acquiring mass as a result.

4. What is the significance of neutrinos interacting with the Higgs field?

The interaction between neutrinos and the Higgs field is significant because it helps explain the origin of neutrino mass. Neutrinos are the only particles known to interact with the Higgs field without being directly affected by the electromagnetic or strong nuclear forces.

5. How does the interaction with the Higgs field affect the behavior of neutrinos?

The interaction with the Higgs field affects the behavior of neutrinos by giving them mass. This changes their properties, such as their speed and ability to oscillate between different flavors. It also affects their interactions with other particles, making them less likely to interact with other matter.

Similar threads

  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
960
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
4
Views
996
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
985
Back
Top