Why do neutral kaons oscillate but neutrinos don't form mass eigenstates?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
5 replies · 4K views
Dmitry67
Messages
2,564
Reaction score
1
I understand that
[tex]K_l = \frac{d\bar{s} + s\bar{d}}{\sqrt{2}}[/tex]
[tex]K_s = \frac{d\bar{s} - s\bar{d}}{\sqrt{2}}[/tex]
This happens because [tex]K_0[/tex] is oscillating into its own antiparticle.
My question is, why the same is not applicable to the neutrinos? They do oscillate. So instead of ‘pure’ e, mu, tau neutrinos we do not observe superposition?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
We detect mass eigenstates of neutrinos, but a mass eigenstate is a mixture of weak eigenstates. Similar for quarks, their mass and weak eigenstates are not the same.
 
We DO observe superpositions; we observe one of three mass eigenstates, each of which is a linear superposition of flavors.
 
In each case, the mass eigenstate propagates, but the particle eigenstate (d sbar or
say e-neutrino) interacts in the weak interaction. The time scales are different.
When you say "observe" that is the weak interaction.
 
clem said:
In each case, the mass eigenstate propagates, but the particle eigenstate (d sbar or
say e-neutrino) interacts in the weak interaction. The time scales are different.
When you say "observe" that is the weak interaction.

that is correct, i mixed them up. Sorry OP
 
ansgar said:
that is correct, i mixed them up. Sorry OP

So your thoughts are in superposition? :)

Thank you