Science

Neutrinos are the tiniest particles in the universe. Experiments like SNO have shown that neutrinos do have mass, something that for a long time scientists weren’t sure about. We haven’t been able to measure the actual mass yet, but we know it must be very small compared to other particles. This raises questions about whether neutrinos get mass the same way other particles do, or if it might happen through other physics we don’t yet understand.

 

 

Many neutrino experiments are looking for a radioactive decay process called neutrinoless double beta decay – if observed, it would prove that the neutrino is its own antiparticle (every known particle has a corresponding antiparticle). This could lead to more understanding about the imbalance between matter and anti-matter in the early universe, which ultimately led the universe as we know it today (and everything in it, including us) to form. Neutrinoless double beta decay would also help us to learn more about neutrinos’ mass. Scientists are also studying neutrinos to learn more about the solar fusion that powers our sun, supernova explosions, and why the inside of the Earth is hot.

Because neutrinos are so small, experiments to detect them need to be incredibly sensitive and well-insulated from radiation. Neutrinos are so small they usually pass through the empty space in atoms, so need to have a lot of target material to increase the chance of detecting an interaction. Neutrino experiments are set up deep underground, where background radiation can be filtered out by rock or ice.

Learn more about the neutrino experiments McDonald Institute researchers are working on.