Scientists confirm neutrinos shift between three interchangeable types

by Simon Levey
19 July 2013

New research has shown that subatomic particles called neutrinos have a previously unseen identity-shifting property.

The results confirm early indications that neutrinos change between different types, or oscillate, in three ways where they had previously only been seen oscillating in two ways.

Scientists from the T2K collaboration, which involves Dr Yoshi Uchida and Dr Morgan Wascko from Imperial's Department of Physics, made the announcement at a meeting of the European Physical Society in Stockholm, today.

Following the new findings, the researchers are keen to explore whether neutrinos oscillate in a different way to their antimatter particles (called anti-neutrinos). Equal amounts of matter and antimatter were thought to have existed at the start of the universe but now everything that we know is made of ordinary matter.

If any such differences between neutrinos and anti-neutrinos can be found, this will help scientists explain how all the antimatter has disappeared from the universe, leaving only ordinary matter.

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