0 the antiparticle of a neutrino
1 the antiparticle of a neutrino
In both processes, the intermediate emission of a virtual boson (which then decays to electron and antineutrino) is not shown.
It occurs when a neutron decays into a proton in a nucleus, releasing the beta particle and an antineutrino.
Detecting neutrinos proved considerably more difficult than not detecting antineutrinos.
It is possible that their counterparts (right-handed neutrinos and left-handed antineutrinos) simply do not exist.
Only antineutrinos with an energy above threshold of can be uniquely identified (see "neutrino detection" below).
Antineutrinos were first detected as a result of their interaction with protons in a large tank of water.
This delayed-coincidence signature is a very powerful tool for distinguishing antineutrinos from backgrounds produced by other particles.
Free neutronsthose not inside an atomic nucleusare already known to decay into protons (and an electron and an antineutrino) in a process called beta decay.
