Neutrino physics

AUG 01, 1957

Frederick Reines

Clyde L. Cowan

The neutrino is one of nature’s strangest exhibits in the showcase of nuclear physics. Produced in the process of nuclear beta decay and very likely in the decay of certain members of the meson family, the neutrino lives on toward infinity with negligible probability of further interaction with matter, unaffected by anything except the gravitational field of the universe. It might be imagined that this peculiar behavior is sufficient for one particle, but as recent experimental developments stimulated by the theorists Lee and Yang have indicated, the neutrino may be near the heart of the parity puzzle: a given neutrino would seem to know right from left and to communicate this information via the law of conservation of angular momentum to particles with which it is associated in decay processes.

References

1. J. Allen, Phys. Rev. 61, 692 (1942).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
2. R. A. Alpher, J. W. Follin, Jr., and R. C.Herman, Phys. Rev. 92, 1347 (1953).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
3. L. W. Alvarez, UCRL‐328 (1949) (Unpublished).
4. J. H. Barrett, Phys. Rev. 79, 907 (1950).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
5. H. A. Bethe and R. Peierls, Nature 133, 532 (1934).https://doi.org/NATUAS
6. H. A. Bethe, Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 31, 108 (1935).https://doi.org/PCPSA4
7. J. Chadwick, Verhandl. deut. physik. Ges. 16, 383 (1914).https://doi.org/VDPEAZ
8. J. Chadwick, Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) 136, 692 (1932).https://doi.org/PRLAAZ
9. C. L. Cowan, F. Reines, F. B. Harrison, H. Kruse, and A. D. McGuire, Science 124, 103 (1956).https://doi.org/SCIEAS
10. C. L. Cowan and F. Reines, Phys. Rev., describing the second Savannah River Experiment (to be published).
11. R. Davis, Jr., Contributed paper, Am. Phys. Soc. meeting, Washington, D.C. (1956).
12. C. D., Ellis and W. A., Wooster, Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) A117, 109 (1927).https://doi.org/PRLAAZ
13. E. Fermi, Z. Physik 88, 161 (1934).https://doi.org/ZEPYAA
14. E. L. Fireman, Phys. Rev. 74, 1238 (1948).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
15. P. H. Fowler, P. S. Freier, C. M. G. Lattes, E. P. Ney, S. J. St. Lorant, Amer. Phys. Soc. meeting, paper M‐10, Washington, D.C. (1957).
16. G. Gamow and M. Schoenberg, Phys. Rev. 58, 1117 (1940).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
17. G.Gamow, Phys. Today 1, No. 3, 4 (July 1948).https://doi.org/PHTOAD
18. R. L. Garwin, L. M. Lederman, and M. Weinrich, Phys. Rev. 105, 1415 (1957).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
19. L. Landau, Nuclear Phys. 3, 127 (1957).https://doi.org/NUPHA7
20. L. M. Langer and R. J. D. Moffat, Phys. Rev. 88, 689 (1952).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
21. T. D. Lee and C. N. Yang, Phys. Rev. 104, 254 (1956).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
22. T. D. Lee and C. N. Yang, Phys. Rev. 105, 1671 (1957).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
23. M. E. Nahmias, Proc. Cambridge Phil. Soc. 31, 99 (1935).https://doi.org/PCPSA4
24. W. Pauli, Jr., Address to Group on Radioactivity of Tübingen, December 4, 1930;
Rapports du Septiems Conseil de Physique Solvay, Brussels, 1933;
(Gautier‐Villars, Paris, 1934).
25. W. Pauli, Handbuch der Physik (Published by Julius Springer, Berlin, 1933), Vol. 24, p. 83.
26. B. Pontecorvo, National Research Council of Canada, P. D.‐205 (November 20, 1946) (Unpublished).
27. M. H. L. Pryce, Proc. Roy. Soc. (London) A165, 247 (1938).https://doi.org/PRLAAZ
28. F. Reines and C. L. Cowan, Phys. Rev. 92, 830 (1953).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
29. J. M. Robson, Phys. Rev. 78, 311 (1950); https://doi.org/PHRVAO
J. M. Robson, Phys. Rev. 83, 349 (1951).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
30. A. Salam, Nuovo cimento 5, 299 (1957).https://doi.org/NUCIAD
31. A. H. Snell and L. C. Miller, Phys. Rev. 74, 1714A (1948).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
32. K. C. Wang, Phys. Rev. 61, 97 (1942).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
33. H. Weyl, Z. Physik 56, 330 (1929).https://doi.org/ZEPYAA
34. J. A. Wheeler, Phys. Rev. 97, 511 (1955).https://doi.org/PHRVAO
35. A. Wightman. Princeton University Notes (1951) (Unpublished).
36. E. Wiener. Metallurgical Project Report CP‐720, June 2, 1943 (Unpublished).
37. C. S. Wu, E. Ambler, R. W. Hayward, D. D. Hoppes, and R. P. Hudson, Phys. Rev. 105, 1413 (1957).https://doi.org/PHRVAO

More about the Authors

Frederick Reines. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.

Clyde L. Cowan. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.