The detection of a neutrino from a remote blazar , announcedlast calendar week , is of paramount grandness for current and future astrophysics . But detections of neutrinos can also have interesting outcome for other branches of physics . The high - energy particle was used to test one of the central features of Einstein ’s possibility of particular relativity , known as Lorentz proportion .
Lorentz isotropy plainly express that the laws of physics stick around the same between two strike observers . You would care to think that ’s always the subject , but maybe it ’s not . Maybe we have n’t looked at the most utmost fount in the universe where violations might be hiding . researcher used the passing high - push neutrino because its tiny mass and in high spirits hurrying are a terrific testbed for this principle of the hypothesis . The findings , which once again confirm that particular relativity is right , are reported inNature Physics .
" People love tests of Einstein ’s theory,“statedJanet Conrad , professor of cathartic at MIT and a lead source on the report . " I ca n’t tell if people are pep up for him to be right-hand or wrong , but he win in this one , and that ’s kind of bully . To be able to come up with as various a theory as he has done is an unbelievable thing . "
Neutrinos , which scarcely ever interact with ordinary matter , fare in three savor ( do n’t laugh , that ’s actually the technical full term ): electron , muon , and tau . But this flavor property is not determine . Neutrinos are flavor fag – they oscillate from one variety to the other – which mean their abilities can be exploited .
Now permit ’s imagine that something somewhere violates Lorentz symmetry . We have n’t see it in about 100 years of experiments , so if it live it needs to be beyond where we look . And that ’s why high - energy neutrino are complete for this situation . If the rape exists , the highest vitality neutrinos would be affected . If their hypothesis is correct , they would see a deficit of muon neutrinos .
The researchers used a high - energy neutrino dataset from IceCube , the neutrino lookout station locate in Antarctica . They combed through more than 35,000 observations in the search for potential divergence from the theory .
" We were looking to see if a Lorentz violation caused a deflexion , and we did n’t see it , " Conrad say . " This closes the book on the possibility of Lorentz usurpation for a range of mellow - vigor neutrino , for a very farsighted time . "
continue examination of well - give theories might seem trivial , but it is an important thing to do . skill is an approximation of reality , and even extremely good theories can be meliorate upon .
