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Credit: A. B. McDonald
(Queen's University) et al.,
The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Institute
Explanation:
The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) has
been detecting so few
neutrinos from the
Sun
that the
Standard Model of
fundamental particles in the universe may have to be revised.
Pictured above is the SNO as it was being built.
Now operating, this large sphere beneath
Canada is detecting nearly invisible particles called
neutrinos being emitted from the
center of the Sun.
SNO appears to be
measuring a rate expected for
all types of neutrinos combined but a decided
deficit for the
electron neutrino.
The results are being interpreted as bolstering
previous evidence
that different types of neutrinos are changing into each other.
The most popular model for
fundamental particles, known as the
Standard Model, did not predict such
schizophrenic neutrinos.
Implications include that
neutrinos have mass and therefore comprise some of the
dark matter in the universe,
although probably not a cosmologically significant amount.
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: neutrino
Publications with words: neutrino
See also: