Neutrino decay before electroweak breaking

In summary, scientists believe that neutrinos do not get their mass from the Higgs field due to their small mass compared to other particles. During the electroweak epoch, all particles were massless except for neutrinos. It is not known when the neutrinos' mass field was turned on, but it is unlikely that they obtained their mass from the Higgs field. It is also uncertain if the neutrinos would decay to other massless particles if there were a phase transition. Any potential decay would occur on a much shorter timescale than the neutrino lifetime.
  • #1
Helena Wells
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9
TL;DR Summary
Neutrinos don't likely get their mass from the Higgs field.Before the electroweak breaking all other particles were massless but neutrinos shouldn't be massless.
Most scientists believe neutrinos don't get their mass from the Higgs field due to their tiny mass compared to the next lightest particle(electron).During the electroweak epoch the rest particles were massless but neutrinos shouldn't be.

The neutrinos would then decay to the other massless ( i guess if the electroweak interaction had some of the properties of the weak interaction)
particles.

How old can neutrinos be in the current state they are? When was their assosciate mass field turned on?
 
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  • #2
Helena Wells said:
Neutrinos don't likely get their mass from the Higgs field.

Nobody knows that. They might.

Helena Wells said:
Before the electroweak breaking all other particles were massless

Nobody knows that either. What is known for certain is that in the early universe the particles' rest masses were small compared to their energies so mass was irrelevant.

Helena Wells said:
The neutrinos would then decay to the other massless ...particles

Unlikely. If there were a phase transition, it would occur on a very short time scale, much shorter than any neutrino lifetime. (Indeed, likely lifetimes would be loinger than the present age of the universe)
 
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1. What is neutrino decay before electroweak breaking?

Neutrino decay before electroweak breaking is a theoretical process in which neutrinos, subatomic particles with very little mass, decay into other particles before the electroweak force, which unifies the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces, is broken. This process is not yet confirmed by experiments but is predicted by some theories of particle physics.

2. Why is neutrino decay before electroweak breaking important?

If confirmed, neutrino decay before electroweak breaking could provide insights into the fundamental nature of particles and the universe. It could also help explain the origin of matter and antimatter in the universe, as well as the imbalance between matter and antimatter.

3. How is neutrino decay before electroweak breaking studied?

Scientists study neutrino decay before electroweak breaking through experiments that involve high-energy particle collisions, such as those conducted at the Large Hadron Collider. They also use mathematical models and simulations to predict the behavior of particles in these processes.

4. What are the potential implications of neutrino decay before electroweak breaking?

If confirmed, neutrino decay before electroweak breaking could challenge our current understanding of particle physics and the Standard Model, which describes the fundamental particles and forces in the universe. It could also lead to new discoveries and advancements in our understanding of the early universe.

5. What are the current challenges in studying neutrino decay before electroweak breaking?

Neutrino decay before electroweak breaking is a complex and elusive process that is still not fully understood. Scientists face challenges in detecting and studying neutrinos, as they interact very weakly with other particles. Additionally, there are various theoretical models that predict different outcomes for this process, making it difficult to determine which one is correct.

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