Experiment: Photon propagating trough dense neutrino beam

In summary, the conversation discussed the concept of light propagating slower through matter than through vacuum and possible explanations for this phenomenon. One suggestion was to shine photons through a dense beam of neutrinos, which do not interact with photons through electromagnetism but may have a small gravitational interaction. However, the probability of this interaction is extremely small due to the tiny mass of W bosons. The conversation also touched on the idea of alternative theories, but these are not allowed in the discussion forum.
  • #1
Edi
177
1
Greetings. I thought about how/ why light propagates slower trough matter than vacuum. Generally it is excepted that it happens because photons are absorbed and then emitted by the atoms and it kinda makes sense. But I see other possibilities.
I propose and experiment:
How about shining photons trough a dense beam of neutrionos - the stuff that only interacts with gravity [and strong.. or week nuclear force?] - if the beam is slowed down [and the angle is changed] then there would have to be another explanation for why light slows down, wouldn't there?

A possible alternative could be, for example, that gravity on the really small scale doesn't follow the inverse square law and gets way stronger - curving the space much more and, like all gravity does, creating a region of .. well.. "larger on the inside", which means more time for light to pass trough.
 
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  • #2
Personal pet theories are not really allowed here at PF, so unless you have some sources talking about your "alternative" then, I think this thread might get closed.

Photons travel through a "dense" (depending on your definition of dense of course) beam of neutrinos all the time. There are ~10^11 neutrinos per square centimeter traveling through the surface of the Earth per second.
 
  • #3
Photons interact with charged particles. Neutrinos have zero charge. And extremely small masses, so their gravitational interaction would also be immeasurably small. In fact, the gravitational interaction of all elementary particles is immeasurably small.
 
  • #4
Neutrinos _can_ interact with photons.

Since neutrinos participate in weak interaction, they have quantum corrections in a form of W boson loops. And those particles, being charged, interact with with photons.

But the probability of this particular virtual interaction is astronomically tiny because of W boson mass, the correction to vacuum spped of light will be similarly astronomically tiny.
 
  • #5
This thread got off to a bad start and is getting worse.

As pointed out, we don't discuss personal theories here.
Also, the sort of quantum corrections described by nikkom are zero for the neutrino because of the gauge invariance of electromagnetism.
 

What is the purpose of this experiment?

The purpose of this experiment is to study the behavior of photons as they propagate through a dense neutrino beam. This can provide insights into the interactions between photons and neutrinos, as well as help us better understand the properties of neutrinos.

How is the experiment set up?

The experiment involves creating a dense beam of neutrinos using a particle accelerator and then directing a beam of photons through it. The photons are then detected and measured at various points along the beam's path to observe any changes or interactions with the neutrinos.

What are some potential outcomes of this experiment?

One potential outcome is that the photons may experience scattering or absorption as they pass through the dense neutrino beam. This could provide evidence for the existence of new particles or interactions. Another outcome could be that the photons remain unchanged, which could also provide valuable information about the properties of neutrinos.

Why is this experiment important?

Studying the interactions between photons and neutrinos can help us better understand the fundamental forces and particles in the universe. This experiment could also have practical applications, such as improving our understanding of nuclear reactors and particle detectors.

What are the potential implications of the results?

The results of this experiment could have significant implications for our understanding of the Standard Model of particle physics and could potentially lead to the discovery of new particles or interactions. The findings could also have practical applications in fields such as energy production and astrophysics.

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