Evidence for the existence of neutrinos.

In summary, the conversation discusses evidence for the existence of neutrinos, including experimental evidence and the theory behind their existence. It also touches on the concept of conservation of energy/mass and its relationship to photons. The main evidence for the existence of neutrinos is the detection of neutrinos in various experiments, such as at the Savannah River Nuclear Power Plant and the neutrino observatory in Sudbury, England. Additionally, the theory of conservation of momentum was a significant factor in the postulation of neutrinos by Fermi in 1930. The conversation concludes with a clarification on the concept of massless photons and the sufficiency of evidence for the existence of neutrinos.
  • #1
_Mayday_
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[SOLVED] Evidence for the existence of neutrinos.

[solved]
 
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  • #2
Two points: at the elementary particle level, there is no "conservation of energy". There is 'conservation of energy/mass'. As far as conservation of momentum is concerned, that was, in fact, the reason Fermi "postulated" the existence of neutrinos in 1930.

What do you think of as "evidence"? I would think in terms of experimental evidenence for the existence of neutrinos, first given in 1956 at the Savannah River Nuclear Power Plant. Indeed, there is now a "neutrino observatory" at Sudbury, England that regularly detects neutrinos in cosmic rays.
 
  • #3
I guess by evidence, I mean how would a scientist explain to someone who has never heard of neutrinos, and had only ever leaned about simpler atomic structure, how we know they are there. I have done some reading into a few experiments carried out but I am more interested in the theory, or in other words why someone would think that there had to be something else other than a beta emission and the recoil nucleus in the first place.

I'm not sure what you mean by "At the elementary particle level, there is no "conservation of energy". There is 'conservation of energy/mass'." could you please explain that a bit more.

Thanks for the response.
 
  • #4
I'm not sure what you mean by "At the elementary particle level, there is no "conservation of energy". There is 'conservation of energy/mass'." could you please explain that a bit more.

Einstein showed that mass and energy are two different manifestations of the same basic "thing", which is here called mass/energy. In nuclear reactions mass as defined in classical physics, can be transformed to energy (as defined in classical physics).

Trivially, you can think of mass as a "form" on energy.
 
  • #5
Moridin said:
Einstein showed that mass and energy are two different manifestations of the same basic "thing", which is here called mass/energy. In nuclear reactions mass as defined in classical physics, can be transformed to energy (as defined in classical physics).

Trivially, you can think of mass as a "form" on energy.

Going a bit off topic here, is this why people would say that a photon is massless as it has no energy or infact could be said to be, so therefor is able to travel at the speed of light?

Ok back on topic, thank you very much, that has cleared that up.

Any other "evidence" would be most apreciated.
 
  • #6
_Mayday_ said:
Going a bit off topic here, is this why people would say that a photon is massless as it has no energy or infact could be said to be, so therefor is able to travel at the speed of light?

Ok back on topic, thank you very much, that has cleared that up.

Any other "evidence" would be most apreciated.
No, a photon has no such thing as 'invariant mass' (as in a "mass" that everyone will observe regardless of their own conditions - hence unchanging) which is why it's called 'massless'.
 
  • #7
Ah, ok thanks for clearing that up.Would I be correct in saying I have most the evidence then?
 
  • #8
I would have thought conservation of momentum is more than enough?
 

What are neutrinos?

Neutrinos are subatomic particles that have no electric charge and very little mass. They are one of the fundamental particles that make up the universe.

How were neutrinos discovered?

Neutrinos were first hypothesized by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930, and were experimentally discovered in 1956 by Clyde Cowan and Frederick Reines. They were able to detect neutrinos produced by nuclear reactions in a nuclear reactor.

What evidence supports the existence of neutrinos?

There are several lines of evidence that support the existence of neutrinos. These include the observation of solar neutrinos, which showed that the Sun produces a large number of neutrinos, as well as the detection of neutrinos from supernovae and nuclear reactors. The Standard Model of particle physics also predicts the existence of neutrinos.

How do we detect neutrinos?

Neutrinos are notoriously difficult to detect due to their weak interactions with matter. However, there are several methods for detecting them, including using large underground detectors, such as the Super-Kamiokande experiment, and using particle accelerators to produce and study neutrinos.

What is the significance of neutrinos in our understanding of the universe?

Neutrinos play a crucial role in our understanding of the universe. They are the second most abundant particle in the universe after photons, and they have important implications in fields such as astrophysics, particle physics, and cosmology. The study of neutrinos has also led to advancements in technology, such as the development of new detection methods and technologies.

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