Investigating the transformation of neutrinos
2005/05/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
Scientists have been trying to figure out the answer to this question for 50 years: can it become neutrino of another kind? For example, can it become a tau-neutrino electron neutrino or muon-neutrino?
This is important because electron neutrinos occur in the reactions of the Sun; in view of what comes from there, scientists could better know the heart of the Sun. But detecting neutrinos is very difficult, as they do not interact with matter. However, they have managed to detect neutrinos, but they have detected much less than they should theoretically arrive. Where are the missing electron neutrinos?
Scientists believe that electron neutrinos can become another type of neutrinos. The MINOS project has been implemented to demonstrate this. Two giant detectors will be used, one in the U.S. Illinois Fermilabe and one in Minnesota. They will create Fermilab neutrinos and measure them in their detector. They will then be detected again in Minnesota. You will see if neutrinos are altered along the way.
