Muon neutrino

Muon neutrino

Composition	Elementary particle
Statistics	Fermionic
Generation	Second
Interactions	Weak, Gravity
Symbol	ν μ
Antiparticle	Muon antineutrino (ν μ)
Theorized	(1940s)
Discovered	Leon Lederman, Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger (1962)
Mass	Small but non-zero. See neutrino mass.
Electric charge	0 e
Color charge	No
Spin	1⁄2
Weak isospin	LH: ?, RH: ?
Weak hypercharge	LH: ?, RH: ?

The muon neutrino is a subatomic lepton elementary particle which has the symbol ν
μ and no net electric charge. Together with the muon it forms the second generation of leptons, hence its name muon neutrino. It was first hypothesized in the early 1940s by several people,^{[citation needed]} and was discovered in 1962 by Leon Lederman, Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger. The discovery was rewarded with the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Discovery

In 1962 Leon M. Lederman, Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger showed^[1] that more than one type of neutrino exists by first detecting interactions of the muon neutrino (already hypothesised with the name neutretto^[2]), which earned them the 1988 Nobel Prize.^[3]

Speed

In September 2011, OPERA researchers observed muon neutrinos traveling apparently at faster than lightspeed (see: OPERA neutrino anomaly). This result was confirmed again in a second November experiment.

See also

• Electron neutrino
• Tau neutrino
• PMNS matrix

References

1. ^ G. Danby, J.-M. Gaillard, K. Goulianos, L. M. Lederman, N. B. Mistry, M. Schwartz, J. Steinberger (1962). "Observation of high-energy neutrino reactions and the existence of two kinds of neutrinos". Physical Review Letters 9: 36. Bibcode 1962PhRvL...9...36D. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.9.36. http://www.slac.stanford.edu/spires/find/hep/www?j=PRLTA,9,36. 
2. ^ I.V. Anicin (2005). "The Neutrino - Its Past, Present and Future". arXiv:physics/0503172 [physics.hist-ph]. 
3. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1988". The Nobel Foundation. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1988/index.html. Retrieved 2010-02-11. 

Further reading

• Leon M. Lederman (1988). "Observations in Particle Physics from Two Neutrinos to the Standard Model". Nobel Lectures. The Nobel Foundation. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1988/lederman-lecture.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-11. 
• Melvin Schwartz (1988). "The First High Energy Neutrino Experiment". Nobel Lectures. The Nobel Foundation. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1988/schwartz-lecture.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-11. 
• Jack Steinberger (1988). "Experiments with High-Energy Neutrino Beams". Nobel Lectures. The Nobel Foundation. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1988/steinberger-lecture.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-11.