2023-11-22 11:00:00
BLACK FRIDAY -50% on your National Geographic subscription Only until 11/26!
Enjoy National Geographic Special Editions at an exclusive price for being a subscriber.
Among all the particles found in space, forming the immensity of the Cosmos, there is one in particular, very elusive and difficult to detect, that manages to defy the laws of the most conventional physics: the neutrino. It is a type of tiny particle, of subatomic size, that has taken center stage in studies of the Universe for many years.
Unlike electrically charged quarks or electrons, neutrinos have a neutral charge. But how are they different from neutrons then? Well, for example, neutrinos barely interact with matter, that is, They are almost invisible. In fact, their existence is so subtle that billions of them constantly pass through our body without leaving any trace. How is it possible that these particles frequently interact with us without us barely noticing their presence?
Video: Curiosities about the Sun
WHAT ARE NEUTRINOS?
Neutrinos are identified as small particles smaller than the size of an atom. In fact, their mass is so incredibly small that they were long thought to be massless particles. This curious characteristic, however, allows them to travel at very high speedsclose to that of light, without losing hardly any energy along the way.
Furthermore, as if that were not enough, neutrinos interact with the rest of the particles through a force known as weak and which constitutes one of the four fundamental forces that govern the world we know (the others are the strong force, the gravitational force and the electromagnetic force). The most peculiar thing about this type of interaction is that it is, as its name indicates, very weak and causes the neutrinos they barely interact with the rest of the particles.
The electron: the particle responsible for nothing touching anything
Unlike protons and electrons, neutrinos They do not present any electrical charge, which explains why they can pass through matter without being deflected by electric fields. They can often be confused with quarks, but there are a series of elements that make a big difference between the two. For example, quarks do have a charge and must combine with other particles when traveling through space, while neutrinos have a neutral charge and can be transported freely for themselves.
HOW ARE THEY PRODUCED?
But where do these types of particles come from? How are they produced? Well, the generation of neutrinos is actually a phenomenon that can occur in different corners of the Universe. One of them is in the inside of the stars and is part of the energy generation process, that is, nuclear fusion. In its core, as is the case of the Sun, hydrogen is converted into helium, releasing large amounts of energy in the form of light and heat along with a large number of neutrinos. These travel through space, crossing the Earth continuously.
NASA
One of the sources of neutrino production is the fusion reactions that occur inside the Sun.
Furthermore, it is also possible that they are generated in the supernova explosions, that is, in collapse phenomena in which a star puts an end to its life. In this violent phenomenon, a large emission of neutrinos occurs, which remain free and traveling through space. When Supernova 1987 occurred, located 168,000 light years from Earth, the emission of neutrinos was so large that the flux was captured by ground-based detectors.
However, it is also possible to produce neutrinos artificially in man-made laboratories located on the planet. This is, for example, the case of neutrinos generated in particle accelerators, where certain elements, such as protons, are collided with specific targets at very high speeds. Another case is the nuclear decay processessuch as beta decay, in which neutrinos are produced together with other elementary particles.
The proton: from gold foil to the fight against cancer
FROM ASTROPHYSICS TO NUCLEAR ACTIVITY
Perhaps, one of the great unknowns surrounding these peculiar particles is:what are they for? What effects does its existence have? Well, beyond their spooky reputation and their journey through the Universe, neutrinos have a key role in particle physics and in the exploration of astronomical phenomena. Thus, neutrinos offer an almost unique opportunity to study the fundamental forces that reign in the Cosmos, especially the weak interaction force.
Furthermore, they are essential particles when it comes to explore and understand dark matter, which constitutes almost 27% of the Universe. And the fact that neutrinos rarely interact with the environment that we see and detect makes them ideal candidates to constitute dark matter. In fact, there is some ongoing research that is looking for traces of neutrinos that may show the presence of this dark matter.
Vera Rubin and the discovery of dark matter
They can also play a key role in monitoring nuclear activity. In this way, the detection of neutrinos can be measured in nuclear reactors, so that a variation in their production could indicate certain changes in the operation of the reactor. This mechanism would then be a tool for nuclear surveillance and nuclear security.
Finally, neutrinos from astrophysical sources, such as blazars or some cataclysmic events, can help detect energy processes that are taking place in the Universe. For example, neutrinos captured in the IceCube detector in Antarctica make it possible to obtain very valuable information about violent and previously unknown cosmic events.
#Neutrinos #ghost #particles #understand #Cosmos