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GLOBAL TEAM OF PHYSICISTS UPENDS STANDARD MODEL WITH DISCOVERY OF NEUTRINO OSCILLATION, MASS
Boston University ^ | 08 July 2004 | News release staff

Posted on 07/09/2004 12:20:53 PM PDT by PatrickHenry

A team of nearly 100 physicists from around the world have achieved results verifying that the elementary particle known as the neutrino exhibits a distinctive pattern of oscillation. This discovery shows that it is likely that the Standard Model, proposed in the 1970s to describe the fundamental forces and particles that make up all matter, is incomplete. The findings provide the needed confirmation to their previous discovery of neutrino oscillation and give the most precise measurement yet of neutrino mass.

“These findings show that the Standard Model needs to be modified to better explain the fundamental forces that make up all matter,” says James Stone, a professor of physics at Boston University. “They clear the field of all other explanations for the earlier results.”

Stone and his collaborators are part of the Super-Kamiokande collaboration, a Japan-based project that involves researchers from more than 30 institutions worldwide. Stone serves as co-principal investigator for the “Super-K” experiment as well as being a member of the experiment’s Executive Committee and co-spokesperson for the participating U.S. researchers. The results of the collaboration’s efforts will be published next month in Physical Review Letters.

The Super-K collaboration’s new analysis focused on atmospheric neutrino data. Atmospheric neutrinos are produced by high-energy collisions of cosmic rays with Earth’s upper atmosphere. The neutrinos come in two types, or “flavors,” called electron-type and muon-type.

The Super-K group first reported that neutrinos oscillated in 1998. This discovery grew from their observation that the number of upward-going muon-neutrinos (those traveling the full distance through Earth) was considerably fewer than the number of downward-going muon-neutrinos (those that traveled only the “short” distance from the upper atmosphere to the underground Super-K detector). In their report, the researchers show that the size of the measured difference depends on the distance traveled in a way that is consistent with the theory of neutrino oscillation. Their full analysis of the data shows the muon-neutrino most likely changes into a third flavor of neutrino, the tau-neutrino, which is not produced in cosmic-ray collisions.

According to the neutrino mixing theory of the Standard Model, the probability that a neutrino of one flavor changes to another can be determined by dividing the distance a neutrino travels (L) by its energy (E). The distinctive, sinusoidal pattern described by the theory says that the probability of a flavor change dips toward zero and then recovers as the L/E ratio increases.

The Super-K physicists invented a new method for this analysis of atmospheric neutrino data, one that used only those neutrino “events” that had very good measurements of travel distance and neutrino energy. This is an improvement over the 1998 analysis. In that analysis, the distinctive oscillatory pattern had been washed out because many of the events had poor travel distance and neutrino energy measurements. In this newly reported analysis, each selected event was assigned a well-defined L and E value, and the number of neutrino events was studied as a function of the ratio L/E. Analysis of data gathered using this improved technique shows a prominent dip at a value of L/E that is consistent with the theory of neutrino mixing.

Theoretically, neutrinos can change from one flavor to another only if they have mass. The Standard Model, however, assumes neutrinos are without mass. Thus, the 1998 discovery of neutrino oscillation was also the first evidence that neutrinos have mass. A few unusual theories, however, had offered explanations for the “loss” of upward-going muon neutrinos that differed from the 1998 conclusion of the Super-K group. Instead of determining that the deficit indicated that muon-neutrinos changed to a new flavor, these theories noted that the deficit was likely the result of neutrino decay to other particles.

The new analysis by the Super-K collaboration rejects these theories on the basis that they fail to predict the oscillatory pattern found in the 1998 analysis. In addition, the recent analysis finds that the location of the dip in the oscillatory pattern shows the mass difference between the neutrinos. It is the most precise measurement yet of that difference in mass.

The Super-Kamiokande collaboration, which includes scientists from institutions in Japan, the United States, and Korea, is funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture; the United States Department of Energy; and the National Science Foundation.

The Physics Department at Boston University provides opportunities for research in experimental high-energy physics and astrophysics, experimental medium-energy physics, experimental condensed-matter physics and polymer physics, molecular biophysics, theoretical high-energy particle physics and cosmology, and theoretical condensed-matter physics, polymer physics, and statistical mechanics.

Note to editors: A copy of the Physical Review Letters paper describing these findings can be found HERE.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: crevolist; electricsun; neutrino; neutrinodetector; neutrinos; physics; science; stringtheory
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To: PatrickHenry
I think of you in the context of larger particles. Much larger. Like planets. You're my "big picture" guy.

You calling me fat? hehehehehe

61 posted on 07/09/2004 3:02:59 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: talleyman
(ducking)

LOL! :-)

62 posted on 07/09/2004 3:04:33 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: neutrino
I'm not missing. I just oscillated around the local area for a few hours.

Hmmm.... Flavor change as well? :-)

63 posted on 07/09/2004 3:05:47 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: PatrickHenry
Better to have studied a century ago. In 1904, before relativity, QM, nuclear physics and the big bang, at least you felt that you had a good grasp of things.

In my day, you could study Physics without a lot of complicated math. Then I graduated High School.

64 posted on 07/09/2004 3:14:46 PM PDT by VadeRetro
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To: PatrickHenry

65 posted on 07/09/2004 3:20:49 PM PDT by diotima (Telegram Sam, you're my main man)
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To: Flightdeck

As in STEVE Weinberg? Too cool.


66 posted on 07/09/2004 3:24:11 PM PDT by RightWingAtheist (Ni Jesus, Ni Marx..OUI REAGAN!)
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To: Long Cut

Coming soon to a video store near you...Super Kamiokande Rider, the first neutrino-powered super hero!

67 posted on 07/09/2004 3:29:25 PM PDT by RightWingAtheist (Ni Jesus, Ni Marx..OUI REAGAN!)
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To: PatrickHenry

Across your open mind
I trace erratic lines
In motion and in time

I fought a battle won
To the surface of the sun
Through fires on and on

It's only you
It can't be me
For I myself refuse to be
I am someone you'll never know
I am the little neutrino


68 posted on 07/09/2004 3:34:48 PM PDT by RightWingAtheist (Ni Jesus, Ni Marx..OUI REAGAN!)
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To: PatrickHenry

"Quantum Foam makes me roam."


69 posted on 07/09/2004 3:39:17 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (May the wings of Liberty never lose so much as a feather.)
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To: RightWingAtheist
And now I'm passing through
The one who is known as you
And yet, you'll never know I do
I really do
70 posted on 07/09/2004 4:10:16 PM PDT by balrog666 (A public service post.)
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To: RightWingAtheist
A neutrino walks into a bar ... and keeps on going.

What did the neutrino say to the earth? Answer: "Just passing through."

A neutrino walks into a bar and orders a Scotch. Then he asks the bartender: "How much?" The bartender replies: "For you, no charge."

71 posted on 07/09/2004 4:24:19 PM PDT by PatrickHenry (Hic amor, haec patria est.)
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To: neutrino
Um, OK, but, then ... what is the mass of a neutrino?

Hmmph. How would you feel if I went around discussing the mass of a jennyp?

Ahem, well, I'm sure it's all muscle!
72 posted on 07/09/2004 4:29:41 PM PDT by jennyp (Edwards & Kerry: Liberal & Liberaler)
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To: AFPhys

In case you hadn't seen or been pinged to this, FYI.


73 posted on 07/09/2004 4:32:03 PM PDT by GretchenM (A country is a terrible thing to waste. Vote Republican.)
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To: RadioAstronomer
Hmmm.... Flavor change as well? :-)

Well, yes. Jalapenos will do that....

74 posted on 07/09/2004 5:16:20 PM PDT by neutrino (Against stupidity the very Gods themselves contend in vain.)
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To: jennyp
Ahem, well, I'm sure it's all muscle!

Exactly! You'll notice that none of the researchers have suggested that neutrinos have any fat mass.

Unless they get into question of flavor...and everyone knows that fat helps transport flavor... (Sigh!)

75 posted on 07/09/2004 5:18:45 PM PDT by neutrino (Against stupidity the very Gods themselves contend in vain.)
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To: PatrickHenry

Festival of bad science humor jokes placemarker


76 posted on 07/09/2004 5:46:40 PM PDT by longshadow
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To: Shryke; Physicist

My head, also. ;^)


77 posted on 07/09/2004 5:52:39 PM PDT by headsonpikes (Spirit of '76 bttt!)
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To: RightWingAtheist

Yep, his office is a stones throw from mine. (Though I've never really talked to him)


78 posted on 07/09/2004 6:11:28 PM PDT by Flightdeck (Procrastinate later)
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To: GWTexan; Mycroft Holmes

mega ping!


Must read -> physics


79 posted on 07/09/2004 8:18:49 PM PDT by fooman (Get real with Kim Jung Mentally Ill about proliferation)
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To: Flightdeck

Even though he's proudly liberal (by his own words) he's more sensible and certainly more intelligent than most. A friend of mine who interviewed him said he she found him stubborn, but it was that stubborness which led him to the electroweak theory.


80 posted on 07/09/2004 11:11:47 PM PDT by RightWingAtheist (Ni Jesus, Ni Marx..OUI REAGAN!)
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