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An interpretation of the artist's subatomic particle motion. Neutrino physicists examined the neutrinos detected by the IceCube observatory and found that they adhered to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.
Credit: Shutterstock
Once again, scientists have shown that Albert Einstein's theory of restricted relativity is right – this time, thanks to a particle detector buried under Antarctica
examined subatomic particles called neutrinos: elusive, unloaded subatomic particles as small as electrons. Researchers wondered whether these tiny high-energy particles would deviate from the behavior predicted by the theory of special relativity. Specifically, they were testing Lorentz symmetry – the principle that the laws of physics are the same, whether you're an astronaut browsing a million-mile space at the hour or a snail on Earth at a fraction of that speed. [8 Ways You Can See Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in Real Life]
Neutrinos are everywhere, but travel solo in the entire universe, rarely interacting with other subjects. As neutrinos fly in space, they oscillate between the three different states that physicists call flavors: electron, muon, and tau. When neutrinos interact with the ice under the observatory, they turn into muons, which are charged and can then be identified by the detector
If the principle of Lorentz symmetry is true, a neutrino will be used. a given mass should oscillate at a predictable rate. which means that a neutrino has to travel a certain distance before turning into a muon. Any discrepancy in this rate could mean that our universe does not work as Einstein had predicted.
This means that neutrinos are "sensitive probes for observing spatio-temporal effects," like the Lorentz violation, says lead author Carlos Argüelles, a particle physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) .
"Theories can break down, or they can have new effects when you look in new territories," says Argüelles at Live Science
. for evidence of violation of Lorentz in many cases, photons to gravity, but have always been empty handed. But with neutrinos, Argüelles said scientists can "explore this new high energy regime that has not been explored yet."
Argüelles and his colleagues reviewed two years of neutrino data collected by the IceCube Observatory. Their research gave no evidence of Lorentz violation in the field of high energy neutrinos. "This closes the book on the possibility of Lorentz violation for a range of high-energy neutrinos, for a very long time," said Janet Conrad, co-author of the study, an MIT physicist in a statement. . [Einstein Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on the Physics Genius]
This result allowed the researchers to calculate that anything that reacts with neutrinos at an energy level greater than 10 high at 36 gigaelectronvolts (GeV) squared seems to obey the normal rules of neutrino oscillations. – which means Lorentz's symmetry is still working as expected. To put this into perspective, the infinitely small neutrinos interact with matter at a level of energy of about 10 high at least 5 GeV squared, which is still incredibly weak but 10 times larger than this new limit .
to set the strictest limit yet on how neutrinos can be affected by a violent Lorentz field, "said Conrad.
Neutrinos had not yet been discovered when Einstein died, but his theory further predicts their behavior, "which is unbelievable," said Argüelles. "So far, we have found no evidence of Einstein's spatio-temporal relativity theory."
Nevertheless, Argüelles and his colleagues plan to continue to explore the high-energy phenomena for Lorentz violations. "As you explore new conditions, you may find that the things that do not occur are not the same. were not important are now important, "he said.
The team published its findings today (July 16) in the journal Nature Physics.
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