electron neutrino

The electron neutrino is a fundamental subatomic particle with no electric charge and very little mass. It belongs to the lepton family and interacts only through the weak force, making it highly penetrating. There are three types of neutrinos: electron-neutrino, muon-neutrino, and tau-neutrino, each with a corresponding antiparticle, the antineutrino.1

Predicted in 1930 by Wolfgang Pauli to explain energy loss in beta decay, neutrinos were experimentally detected in 1956. Their existence was confirmed through experiments involving nuclear reactors.1

Current research focuses on neutrino masses and oscillations, where neutrinos can change from one type to another. This phenomenon, observed in solar neutrinos and cosmic ray interactions, suggests that neutrinos possess mass, a finding that extends beyond the Standard Model of particle physics.2