This must be a slow news day!

Post Reply New Topic

I came across an news article titled 'Evil-genius' neutrino gun could unmask tiniest particles in the universe

This article was about neutrinos and three new neutrino detectors coming on-line soon. These detectors are named: DUNE, HYPER-KAMIOKANDE, and PINGU. DUNE stands for "Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment." Hyper-K is like Super-K but bigger. I'm not exactly sure why physicists choose the acronyms they do for giant science experiments. In this case, Pingu is the name of a European animated penguin who has various misadventures and learns important life lessons on the southern continent. It also stands for "Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade" (PINGU).

So what relevancy does this mean to the average person? When I was young, the atomic particles were defined as protons, neutrons and electrons. Then other particles were discovered. One of these particles is called a neutrino. It is infinitesimal in size and has a neutral charge which means that it can pass through things like an microscopic arrow but much smaller. Trillions upon trillions of neutrinos are passing through your body right now. Ouch! Did you feel that. No they are too small.

So why all the fuss. Well it has to do with the origin of neutrinos. Generally it is thought that they originate for massive explosions such as the Big Bang or when a star goes supernova. That is why all the fuss. A supernova explosion that occurs when a massive star explodes and forms a black hole produces many of these particles. And a nearby supernova is IMHO an esoteric threat. A spike of neutrinos will foretell the coming of a nearby supernova event before it is visible in the nights sky.