Muon antineutrino
Composition :
Statistics :
Generation :
Family :
Interaction forces :
Symbol :
Antiparticle :
Mass :
Decays into :
Electric charge :
Color charge
Spin :
Weak isospin :
Elementary particle
Fermionic
Second
Lepton
weak,
gravity
νμ
Muon neutrino ( νμ )
Small but non-zero (1)
0 e
none
¹/₂
¹/₂
_
MUON ANTINEUTRINO
General
The muon antineutrino, often denoted as μ, is one of the three types of neutrinos and their corresponding antineutrinos. Neutrinos are elementary particles that belong to the lepton family, and they come in three flavors: electron neutrino (e), muon neutrino (μ), and tau neutrino (τ). Each neutrino flavor has its corresponding antineutrino.
Spin: Neutrinos are spin-1/2 particles, meaning they possess intrinsic angular momentum.
Mass: Neutrinos have very small masses, but the exact values are not precisely known. They are much lighter than other subatomic particles.
Charge: Neutrinos have no electric charge. This makes them electrically neutral.
Interactions: Neutrinos interact extremely weakly with matter. They primarily undergo weak interactions, mediated by the exchange of W and Z bosons. This weak interaction makes neutrinos difficult to detect, and they can pass through large amounts of matter without interacting.
Flavor Oscillations: Neutrinos can undergo flavor oscillations, a phenomenon where a neutrino of one flavor can change into a neutrino of another flavor as it travels through space. This discovery, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015, implies that neutrinos have nonzero masses.
Muon Flavor: Muon antineutrinos are specifically associated with muons. That is, they are produced in association with muons and can be detected through interactions involving muons.
Production: Muon antineutrinos are produced in various processes, such as certain types of nuclear reactions, particle decays, and interactions involving muons.
Detection: Detecting muon antineutrinos is challenging due to their weak interactions. Experimenters use large detectors and look for the rare instances when a muon antineutrino interacts with matter, producing detectable particles. More information : [1] & [2]
[i] The Daeδalus Project. Proceedings of IPAC2011, San Sebastián, Spain. Jose R. Alonso, Tess Smidt, MIT, Cambridge MA 02138 for the DAEδALUS Collaboration
[ii] The DAEδALUS Project: Rationale and Beam Requirements. Jose R. Alonso, for the DAEδALUS Collaboration MIT, Cambridge, MA 02138. arXiv:1010.0971. Presentation at Cyclotron'10 conference, Lanzhou, China, Sept 7, 2010
Creation of Muon antineutrinos
Muon antineutrinos can be created in various processes involving the production or decay of particles. Here are some of the main processes where muon antineutrinos are generated:
Muon Decay:
Muon antineutrinos are produced in the decay of antimuons () The decay process involves the weak interaction, and one of the products is a muon antineutrino:
Pion Decay:
Muon antineutrinos are also produced in the decay of charged pions (π+ or π−):
Kaon Decay:
In certain decays of neutral kaons (K⁻), muon antineutrinos can be produced
Kaon and Pion Production in Cosmic Rays:
Muon antineutrinos are produced in the interactions of cosmic rays with the Earth's atmosphere. High-energy cosmic rays can collide with nuclei in the atmosphere, producing secondary particles such as pions and kaons. Subsequent decays of these particles can yield muon antineutrinos.
Accelerator Experiments:
Muon antineutrinos are often produced in particle accelerators in experiments involving high-energy protons or other particles colliding with a target. These collisions can produce a variety of secondary particles, including muons and muon antineutrinos.
Nuclear Reactions:
Muon antineutrinos can be produced in nuclear reactions, such as those occurring in certain types of beta decay or other weak processes involving nuclei.
Figure 281 - Antimuon decay into Muon Antineutrino
Figure 282 – Pion (π⁻) decay into muon antineutrino
Figure 283 – Kaon (K⁻) decay into Muon Antineutrino
Online Library
Related Papers
[1] The Daeδalus Project. Proceedings of IPAC2011, San Sebastián, Spain. Jose R. Alonso, Tess Smidt, MIT, Cambridge MA 02138 for the DAEδALUS Collaboration
[2] The DAEδALUS Project: Rationale and Beam Requirements. Jose R. Alonso, for the DAEδALUS Collaboration MIT, Cambridge, MA 02138. arXiv:1010.0971. Presentation at Cyclotron'10 conference, Lanzhou, China, Sept 7, 2010