Recent dark matter experiments have made a fascinating discovery – signs of neutrinos colliding with atomic nuclei in their detectors. This revelation poses a potential challenge for the detectors, as highlighted by Emily Conover in her article “‘Fog’ invades dark matter experiments” (SN: 8/24/24, p. 12).
Until now, scientists have only been able to detect dark matter through its gravitational
Walty raised an interesting question about how a tiny neutrino can collide with an entire atomic nucleus.
“Subatomic particles do not behave like varying-sized billiard balls bouncing around; they exhibit wave-like properties,” explains Conover. When a particle’s wavelength exceeds that of an atom’s nucleus, it interacts with the nucleus as a whole rather than individual protons or neutrons. In the case of a neutrino striking a nucleus, the interaction occurs through another particle known as a Z boson, which is exchanged between the neutrino and the nucleus. If the Z boson’s wavelength is large enough, the entire nucleus will move collectively.
2024-10-19 06:00:00
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