Are the electron and neutrino that are emitted in a beta decay entangled?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether the electron and neutrino emitted during beta decay are entangled, particularly in the context of a hard vacuum. Participants explore the implications of entanglement in beta decay processes and the challenges associated with detecting neutrinos.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if the electron and neutrino emitted in beta decay are entangled, emphasizing the need for a hard vacuum to allow the electron time before interacting with matter.
  • Another participant notes that the decay of an isolated neutron is different from beta decay in an atomic nucleus, which introduces additional complexities, including the presence of a daughter proton.
  • It is suggested that all daughter particles in beta decay are entangled concerning energy, momentum, and angular momentum, but they do not have definite values until a measurement occurs.
  • A participant expresses skepticism about the feasibility of detecting neutrinos, questioning how one could measure the spin of a neutrino if they are indeed entangled.
  • One participant asserts a personal rule of thumb that "if it can be entangled, it will be," implying a belief in the propensity for entanglement in quantum systems.
  • Another participant states that depending on the type of beta decay, the spins of the electron and neutrino will be entangled.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the entanglement of the electron and neutrino, with some suggesting that entanglement is likely while others highlight the complexities and challenges in confirming this. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of entanglement in this context.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the difficulty in detecting neutrinos and the implications of measurement on entangled states, but do not resolve these issues or provide definitive answers regarding the entanglement of the particles involved in beta decay.

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TL;DR
In a hard vacuum, is the electron and the neutrino emitted in a beta decay entangled?
This is a question.

In a hard vacuum, is the electron and the neutrino emitted in a beta decay entangled?

I searched the web. The question does not seem to appear there.

The only reason for the hard vacuum is to allow the electron time before it interacts with other matter. I don't see any practical experiment to answer the question. Neutrinos are too difficult to detect. Assuming the spins are entangled, how does one detect the spin of a neutrino?
 
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rjhoward12447 said:
In a hard vacuum, is the electron and the neutrino emitted in a beta decay entangled?
You are thinking about the decay of an isolated neutron? Beta decay of a neutron in an atomic nucleus brings in a bunch of other complications, but either way there’s also a daughter proton to consider.

All of the daughter particles are entangled on energy, momentum, and angular momentum. They do not have a definite value for any of these properties until an interaction with something else (for example, a measurement) breaks the entanglement and the wave function collapses to a state in which the values are consistent with the conservation laws for these properties.
I don't see any practical experiment to answer the question. Neutrinos are too difficult to detect. Assuming the spins are entangled, how does one detect the spin of a neutrino?
not easily. https://journals.aps.org/pr/pdf/10.1103/PhysRev.109.1015 for example
 
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rjhoward12447 said:
TL;DR Summary: In a hard vacuum, is the electron and the neutrino emitted in a beta decay entangled?

This is a question.

In a hard vacuum, is the electron and the neutrino emitted in a beta decay entangled?

I searched the web. The question does not seem to appear there.

The only reason for the hard vacuum is to allow the electron time before it interacts with other matter. I don't see any practical experiment to answer the question. Neutrinos are too difficult to detect. Assuming the spins are entangled, how does one detect the spin of a neutrino?
My rule of thumb is "if it can be entangled, it will be."
 
Hornbein said:
My rule of thumb is "if it can be entangled, it will be."
Murphy's Law of Entanglement?
 
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Depending on the type of beta decay, the electron and neutrino spins will be entangled.
 

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