Why is it that neutrino oscillations are allowed to happen in terms of energy?

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of neutrino oscillations and how they occur between different flavor eigenstates and mass eigenstates. The oscillation is allowed to happen due to the fact that the states of definite mass and flavor are not the same and therefore, a neutrino can change its flavor during propagation, resulting in a mixture of states. The term "interaction states" is interchangeable with "flavor states" and these interactions are what cause the oscillations to occur.
  • #1
jeebs
325
4
If I'm not mistaken, the 3 flavours of neutrino are supposed to have different masses, right? Why then, if you had, say, an electron neutrino traveling along with a certain value of (kinetic + mass) energy, and then it oscillates into a muon neutrino with a different mass, could that be allowed?

I can't imagine that it would somehow be able to slow itself down so that its kinetic energy loss balances out its mass energy gain. So, what's going on there?

Or is an oscillation only allowed to last for short times within the confines of the energy-time uncertainty principle?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
The point is that the states of given mass (the mass eigenstates) and the states of given flavor (the flavor eigenstates) are not the same. So an electron neutrino does not have a definite mass - it is a mixture of three states of different masses. And a state of definite mass does not have a given flavor - it is a mixture of three different flavors. Since a state of fixed mass is what propagates (as you say, it can't change in mid-flight), it has a certain probability of being any of the three flavors.
 
  • #3
ahhh right, thanks.

one other thing though, in my reading I've came across talk of "mass states" and "interaction states". When people talk about these interaction states, is that term interchangeable with the flavour states you mentioned?
 
  • #4
jeebs said:
ahhh right, thanks.

one other thing though, in my reading I've came across talk of "mass states" and "interaction states". When people talk about these interaction states, is that term interchangeable with the flavour states you mentioned?

As I understand it, yes. An interaction will result in a state of definite flavor, but since this state of definite flavor is a mixture of states of different energy (mass), each of which evolves according to the Schrodinger equation with different frequencies, you get oscillations.
 
  • #5
nice one, thanks.
 
  • #6
This is because the (weak) interactions between leptons appear to couple to the flavour eigenstates, and not the mass eigenstates or mixtures of the flavour eigenstates. This is interesting as it is not true for quarks, where the weak coupling is between mixtures of the quark flavours.
 

Related to Why is it that neutrino oscillations are allowed to happen in terms of energy?

1. Why are neutrino oscillations possible?

Neutrino oscillations are possible because neutrinos have mass. According to the Standard Model of particle physics, neutrinos were originally thought to be massless. However, experiments have shown that neutrinos have a small but non-zero mass, which allows them to oscillate between different flavors.

2. How do neutrino oscillations occur in terms of energy?

Neutrino oscillations occur in terms of energy because neutrinos have different masses and, therefore, different energies. As they travel through space at near-light speeds, they oscillate between different flavors, which correspond to different energy states.

3. What is the role of the weak force in neutrino oscillations?

The weak force is responsible for the transformation of one type of neutrino into another during oscillations. This force is one of the four fundamental forces in nature and is involved in processes such as radioactive decay and nuclear fusion.

4. Can neutrino oscillations be observed?

Yes, neutrino oscillations can be observed through experiments such as the Super-Kamiokande and IceCube detectors. These experiments use large volumes of water or ice to detect the particles produced by neutrino interactions and analyze their energies and flavors.

5. How do neutrino oscillations impact our understanding of the universe?

Neutrino oscillations have greatly expanded our understanding of the universe, particularly in regards to the properties of neutrinos themselves. The discovery of neutrino oscillations has also helped us to better understand the Standard Model of particle physics and the fundamental forces at work in the universe.

Similar threads

I A test for a superluminal neutrino?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
4
Views
1K
I Do neutrinos ever stop oscillating?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
11
Views
2K
I Neutrino oscillation with very low energy neutrinos
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
8
Views
2K
I How do the collider experiments measure the mass of the W boson?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
4
Views
2K
I Possibilty of flavor oscillation of an electron
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
2
Replies
52
Views
4K
I Why are Beryllium-7 neutrinos monoenergetic?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
15
Views
2K
2 questions about Neutrino oscillations
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
19
Views
4K
Schroediger Equation by Neutrino Oscillations
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
18
Views
4K
Why do neutrinos always have a specific flavor when detected?
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
3K
Neutrinos and Conservation Laws
    • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
23
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top