Preface
Among the particles in the universe, the neutrino is the tiniest and the one with
the weakest interactions, yet it has a disproportionately outsized influence on
the creation of the universe that is our home today. That is why the story of
the neutrino is a fascinating one. Starting with how it entered the discussion of
science in 1930 to how it was discovered and how its properties were uncovered
as time evolved, the neutrino’s story has been laced with curiosity, suspense,
hard work, and the thrill of discovery of the unanticipated. So is its promise for
great societal applications in the future. The discoveries are still evolving with
new investments on the international scale. The pursuit of a more complete
knowledge of the neutrino is one of the most diligent scientific endeavors in the
world today. Scientists are going out, all decks on hand to learn as much about
this tiny particle as possible. They have set up “nets” in most unlikely places,
from the deep cold Antarctica to the warm ocean floors and places around the
globe. They have built instruments deep underground to catch the neutrinos
from the sky, supernovae, the Sun, and the center of the galaxies. Everyday
new knowledge is pouring in and being analyzed in sophisticated computer
networks.
This book is an attempt to provide only a partial glimpse of the decades-long
story of the neutrino, starting in 1930 when it first came into the scientific stage
as a mere idea. Originally thought to be far-fetched, its existence was confirmed
in the 1950s. Today many of its properties are known, uncovered by difficult
experiments and scientific perseverance. Much still remains to be learned. My
attempt to convey the excitement around the neutrino necessarily requires
some knowledge of the basic rules of the game in the field of the sub-atomic
physics, as well as some familiarity with the various stages in the evolution
of the universe. The book tries to summarize them in arguably accessible
vii
Among the particles in the universe, the neutrino is the tiniest and the one with
the weakest interactions, yet it has a disproportionately outsized influence on
the creation of the universe that is our home today. That is why the story of
the neutrino is a fascinating one. Starting with how it entered the discussion of
science in 1930 to how it was discovered and how its properties were uncovered
as time evolved, the neutrino’s story has been laced with curiosity, suspense,
hard work, and the thrill of discovery of the unanticipated. So is its promise for
great societal applications in the future. The discoveries are still evolving with
new investments on the international scale. The pursuit of a more complete
knowledge of the neutrino is one of the most diligent scientific endeavors in the
world today. Scientists are going out, all decks on hand to learn as much about
this tiny particle as possible. They have set up “nets” in most unlikely places,
from the deep cold Antarctica to the warm ocean floors and places around the
globe. They have built instruments deep underground to catch the neutrinos
from the sky, supernovae, the Sun, and the center of the galaxies. Everyday
new knowledge is pouring in and being analyzed in sophisticated computer
networks.
This book is an attempt to provide only a partial glimpse of the decades-long
story of the neutrino, starting in 1930 when it first came into the scientific stage
as a mere idea. Originally thought to be far-fetched, its existence was confirmed
in the 1950s. Today many of its properties are known, uncovered by difficult
experiments and scientific perseverance. Much still remains to be learned. My
attempt to convey the excitement around the neutrino necessarily requires
some knowledge of the basic rules of the game in the field of the sub-atomic
physics, as well as some familiarity with the various stages in the evolution
of the universe. The book tries to summarize them in arguably accessible
vii