GS3 SCIENCE & TECH:
Context: Recently, researchers have detected High-energy cosmic neutrinos
under Mediterranean Sea.
What are Neutrinos?
- Neutrinos are tiny particles with no electric charge and very little mass.
- They are incredibly difficult to detect because they rarely interact with matter.
Where Do They Come From?
- The Sun: Produced in nuclear reactions inside the Sun.
- Cosmic Rays: Formed when high-energy particles hit Earth’s atmosphere.
- Nuclear Reactors: Created during fission (splitting atoms).
- Supernovae: Produced when stars explode.
Properties
- Mass: Neutrinos have a very small mass (so small that it was once thought they had none).
- Speed: They travel almost as fast as light.
- Weak Interaction: They pass through everything (including the Earth) without interacting much.
How Do We Detect Them?
- Neutrinos are hard to detect because they don’t interact much with matter. Special detectors deep underground or underwater are used to catch the rare moments when they do interact.
Why Are They Important?
- Neutrino Oscillation: Neutrinos can change into different types as they travel, which helped scientists discover that they have mass.
- Understanding the Sun and Stars: Neutrinos help scientists learn about processes inside the Sun and other stars.
- Cosmology: Neutrinos also help us understand the early universe and the Big Bang.