The Elusive Neutrino: An Investigation on

Neutrino Oscillation

Shreyas Jammi
10 May 2019

Independent Research GT
Dr. Melissa Kiehl
Abstract

The subatomic particle neutrino has left scientists wondering about its true nature for

decades, but due to the neutrino particle’s incredibly small size, it has been a constant mystery.

Recently, studies have found that the neutrino particle can be analyzed through an interesting

phenomenon called neutrino oscillations, and scientists have taken to a storm to better

understand the neutrino mass matrix in hopes of understanding complex quantum physical

phenomenon and answering questions that have plagued physics since Einstein himself (Bilenky,

Guinti, Grimus, 1999). If the neutrino particle is fully understood, the particle’s unique nature in

matter state oscillation may provide applications to many problems in modern physics, such as

Byron’s Asymmetry problem and Cosmic Neutrino Background. Within this research, a review

of scientific literature was conducted in order to better understand the neutrino mass matrix and

neutrino oscillations in order to better understand the properties of neutrino oscillation. A

meta-analysis scientific review of five articles of neutrino oscillation detector data was analyzed

for neutrino mass matrix characteristic indications. It was found that the neutrino mass matrix is

best characterized by the Dirac neutrino mass matrix in which there is a duel chirality between a

single mass system as indicated by the low energy zenith angle and mixing matrix from the

neutrino oscillation detector.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Within the early 1900s, British physicist Paul Dirac was studying particle physics when

he conjured a very famous and peculiar differential equation in an attempt to explain the

behavior of electrons moving at light speed. Instead, he soon discovered the electrons, along with

all elementary particles must have a negative or counter-mass within nature to allow this

situation to occur; the same exact particle must exist, but opposite in charge and properties. This

mass was dubbed antimatter, and the resounding effects throughout particle physics were

legendary. Every particle must have an antiparticle; a positron and an electron, a quark and an

antiquark, or a neutrino and antineutrino. Unfortunately for Dirac and thousands of physicists

after him, the neutrino proved to be a little more complicated than originally expected. Dirac’s

equation had another very important consequence to the elementary particles - the particle duel

chirality. The subatomic particle within the standard model not only comes in antimatter-matter

pairs but also left and right charility. The charility refers to the spin or rotation of the particle, a

property which can determine how the particle interactions with other particles and by extension

matter itself. All particle exhibit this property of duel cardinality except for the neutrinos. The

neutrinos, primarily produced during the beta decay of elements, are only created in left-handed

neutrino and right-handed antineutrinos, and since Dirac’s equation allowed for four

classifications of neutrinos, this seems to be a peculiar anomaly. At the time, neutrinos were

widely believed to be massless, so it was simply believed that the right handed neutrino and the

left-handed antineutrino were sterile neutrinos or particles produced in nature without true

explanation with these characteristics. For years, physicists did not have a theoretical explanation
for this apparent physics phenomenon with the chirality violation until Italian born physicist

Ettore Majorana conjectured another, equally radically, new theory from an equation he

discovered in his graduate studies. Majorana Equation allowed for the neutrino to transcend the

antimatter-matter stimulation that Dirac’s equation set in place. Essentially, Majorana equation

may describe that neutrino may not have matter-antimatter pairs and the particles would simply

switch between its respective states based on dual charility, therefore having only one diel

charility pair but not exhibiting the quadripartite matter-antimatter particle family. This only

stipulation of Majorana’s equation was that neutrinos were to have mass in order for this theory

to be potentially valid, and since particle accelerator and detector technology was decades from

being invented, the debate between the two theories was nothing but theoretical banter until very

recently. In the year 1998, the discussion was reignited by Japanese physicist Takaaki Kajita

when he discovered that the neutrino had a very small and peculiar mass in the famous

Super-Kamiokande Experiment, setting off the race to understand the secrets behind the neutrino

mass matrix and settle the physics argument over which physicist was correct, Dirac or

Majorana. In light of the new profound research, this paper will examine and analyze the

evidence that indicates why Majorana neutrino mass theory was accurate based on zenith angles

and mixing angles found from neutrino detectors.

Chapter 2: Review of Literature

Within the famous 1998 Super-Kamiokande neutrino experiment by Japanese physicist

Takaaki Kajita, neutrino mass was discovered, but it was in significantly lower quantities than

theoretically predicted. Dumbfounded by this strange neutrino behavior, Kajita and his team

thought their instruments were inaccurate, as they released only nearly one-third of the neutrinos
predicted (Mohapatra, R. N, 2019.). After observing and studying the data, Kajita realized the

neutrinos exhibited a strange property that can be used to explain the discrepancies within the

data - neutrino oscillation. Neutrino oscillation is the erratic modulation in neutrino mass states

or flavors, and it explains the lack of neutrinos being observed. The neutrino was found to come

in three distinct mass states and constantly switch between them randomly, from the electron

neutrino to the muon neutrino, and finally the tau neutrino. This discovery was monumental, as it

not only provided a venue in which researchers can conduct better experiments to further

understand the neutrino mass, but it opened doors to understand why the neutrino exhibited a

bipartite particle family rather than a quadripartite family (Kajita, 2013). The answer to why the

particle exhibit the bipartite behavior as described in Majorana neutrino mass matrix hypothesis

lies within the Seesaw mechanism. The Seesaw mechanism is an important property of neutrinos

discovered by Indian-American physicist Rabindra Mohapatra that described how the neutrino

particle interacts with the fundamental forces of the universe or bosons as mentioned before.

Specifically, it was found that the left-handed neutrino and right-handed antineutrinos only

interacted with the weak nuclear force, while the right-handed neutrino and the left-handed

antineutrino interacted with no fundamental forces if they existed (Griffiths, 2008). Essentially,

this means that the right-handed neutrinos cannot be detected normally by particle detection

facilities, hence they were dubbed ‘sterile neutrinos’. Fortunately for physicists, there is one way

to verify the existence of sterile neutrinos and their impact on the neutrino mass matrix through

the zenith angle (Gresham, 2018). When neutrinos interact with matter, there is a specific

resonance frequency emanated from the interaction itself unique to that interaction based on the

mass matrices of the interacting particles. This is primarily how many particle accelerators are
able to analyze high-speed particle collisions among several other techniques, and neutrino

detection facilities are no different. In correlation to the sterile neutrinos, their existence can be

verified and by extension provide evidence to prove which neutrino mass was correct. As seen in

the data analysis section in chapter 4, studies suggest that there is no influence from sterile

neutrino to the neutrino mass matrix, indicating that they likely do not exist. Though zenith

angles are indicative that the Majorana neutrino mass theory was accurate, it was not the only

evidence that leads physicist to this conclusion.

Fortunately for the neutrino particle physicists, the neutrino particle detector facilities can

also provide another set of data to analyze to understand the neutrino mass matrix. Within the

late 1980s and early 1990s, a collision of physicists meth through the internet and conventions to

discuss potential theories relating to neutrinos as part of the international neutrinos physics and

astronomy research project (Lahrz, 2007). At the 1991 particle physics conference in Dallas, it

was historically theorized that the neutrinos would oscillate between multiple states and the mass

distribution in which the particle oscillations within the matrix would be the mixing angle itself.

This discovery was largely ignored until after the famous 1998 Super-Kamiokande neutrino

experiment a few years later, in which the entire physics community surged to calculate the

theoretical mixing angles of the Dirac and Majorana neutrino oscillations as part of the

experiment. Essentially, the neutrino particle, though oscillating within these three states, does

not do so with equal proportions. The proportionality of the neutrino oscillation, or the

probability and average time the neutrino particle stays within a particular state, is determined

through a variety of factors, from particle mass to eigenenergy states, is called the mixing angle,

and it can be analyzed to better deduce the characteristics of the neutrino particle and its
respective mass matrix. With the analysis of the mixing angle, the neutrino mass matrix can be

better understood, which is done within the neutrino detection facility as shown within chapter 4

and chapter 5. Neutrino detection facilities indicate a low energy mixing angle within the

neutrino mass states and the neutrino oscillation have 63% mass state dominance of the tau

neutrino state, 23 % mass state dominance of the muon neutrino and a 14% mass state

dominance of the electron neutrino (Hernandez, 2017). This detection would be best indicative

of the Majorana neutrino mass theory because of the heavy dominance of the tau neutrino mass

state rather than the electron neutrino. Since it is experimentally impossible to detect the electron

neutrino, a large dominance within the electron neutrino would be best indicative of the

Majorana neutrino mass theory because of the high possibility for a only a bipartite neutrino

mass matrix rather than a quadripartite neutrino mass matrix.

Chapter 3: Research Methods and Data Collection

Within my data analysis process, I collected five scientific articles that have published

primary research through accredited universities and facilities across the world in order to

answer the research question: what indications do neutrino oscillations provide to create a

complete neutrino mass matrix?. After acquiring these scientific articles, I then annotated the

articles individually to better understand the information being presented, their implications in

respect to my research, and annotate the articles within a chart outlining the different information

I am trying to study. Within my research specifically, I created a chart I could document my

findings, including the methodology of research within the study and specific questions

pertaining to the neutrino mass matrix. After completing the chart, I then move onto creating the

data analysis discussion, in which I connect the scientific articles in a concise analysis of my
research. Within this discussion, I reviewed the articles and discuss how their studies may

contribute to my understanding of the neutrino mass matrix, and how they challenge and/or

support potential mass matrix theories, and their connection to my hypothesis.

I analyzed the data I collected by a scientific review of the primary research for the

information regarding the neutrino mass matrix, specifically looking at the results and their

implications to the neutrino mass matrix. After analyzing the neutrino detector data on the

recorded zenith angles and mixing angles, I analyzed the zenith angle within the neutrino

detectors to understand the potential influence that sterile neutrinos on neutrino oscillations. This

information can provide indications on whether the neutrino mass matrix has quadripartite - dual

particle chirality or bipartite chirality- dual particle cardinality, which provides insight on

whether the mass matrix is closer related either Dirac or Majorana Neutrino mass matrix (Kajita,

2010). Furthermore, Data on the reported mixing angles of the neutrino oscillations can provide

insight into the mass distributions of the neutrino oscillations, indicating which neutrino mass

states have what density characteristics and its oscillation in respect to position and time or the

space-time continuum.

Chapter 4: Results and Data Analysis

The data found within the research articles specifically show a tau neutrino dominance

within the mixing angle, which is indicative of a duel partite mass matrix. The neutrino

oscillation signals for tau neutrino events or particle oscillation are exceedingly high, as seen in

figure 1.
 The number of tau neutrino collision events is

nearly 80 events throughout the various data

facilities, which corresponds with the relatively

low energy mixing that is characteristic of the

Majorana neutrino mass theory. Furthermore, the

neutrino detector analyzed the zenith angles to find

indications of the existence of sterile neutrinos

through neutrino oscillation interactions (Kajita,

2010). After cross-examining the sources, it can be

concluded that there is little to no influence of any

sterile neutrinos within the zenith angle. As seen in figure 2, the dotted line would be the

predicted dirac neutrino mass hypothesis eigenenergy levels, while the deviations below indicate

the actual low eigenergy variations detected.

The low energy values found essentially

translates to a low zenith angle within the

neutrino oscillations as well, which is duly

supported within the research article, and

highly suggests that there would be a lower

neutrino partite family. Therefore, this allows

the conclusion that the Majorana neutrino mass

matrix is likely very accurate in respect to the

data collected.
 My hypothesis is fully supported within the information raised within the data collection

process, specifically the Dirac neutrino mass matrix hypothesis. As seen through the research

done on sterile neutrinos, the data supports that there is a very high likelihood that the sterile

neutrino does not exist because there is no observable variation to the zenith angle of the

neutrino oscillation mixing matrices (Klinkhamer, 2013). This lack of zenith angle variation

indicates that there is merely a three flavor dual neutrino mass matrix, consisting of left-handed

neutrinos and antineutrinos. Furthermore, the neutrino detection facilities have found that the

Cosmic Neutrino Background and static low energy primary cosmic rays are often unfiltered

even after entering through the Earth’s Atmosphere, and these particles create a range of

uncertainty within the data collection due to the inability or rather lack of sensitivity within the

facilities to detect or distinguish these particles from the primary cosmic ray - atmospheric

neutrinos particle decay (Klinkhamer, 2013). This uncertainty raises the question on how the

detection facilities may approach this manual filtering process, as the particles themselves are

intrinsically similar and, being elementary particles, are also characteristically indistinguishable

except for their particle behavior, but I digress. Another aspect of the study was the observation

of the electrophoretic discharge resonance frequency of the neutrino oscillation in the correlation

of their flavor mass oscillations. The resonance frequency suggests that the higher neutrino mass

flavors, specifically the tau and muon neutrino mass flavors, have the same particle momentum,

suggesting that the tau neutrino mass flavor is within a state of unstable equilibrium and will

likely oscillation into the more stable muon mass flavor (Kajita, 2010). This oscillation behavior

can be used for neutrino oscillation detection and can be used to calibrate the neutrino detection

facilities to create a better understanding of the working mass matrix and its correlating zenith
angle.

Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion

The neutrino mass matrix having majorana mass matrix characteristics have an incredibly

wide range of implications throughout physics, and its discovery could potentially revolutionize

the perspective in which particle physics and by extension quantum physics and cosmology. The

Dirac's laws of particle physics has been monumental to shaping the perspective and the lens in

which physicists study and understand particle physics for nearly 8 decades, but with the

discovery of various particle mass matrix structures, the understanding of mechanics of particle

interaction and composition is being reevaluated. Essentially, physicists have simply been able to

describe the behavior of elementary and subatomic particles, but fail to explain the mechanics of

why the mass matrix is constructed in a certain way. The research has found that the mass matrix

may be not only influenced by the interactions within the Higgs Boson, but also with a variety of

factors from mass resonance variation to the resonance beat frequency string vibration. In the

future, research of the mechanics of the cause of particle behavior should be conducted under the

specific physical reasoning for the universe’s subatomic mass structure.

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2018, from Cornell University Library website: ​https://arxiv.org/pdf/1708.01046.pdf

Bilenky, S. M., Giunti, C., & Grimus, W. (1999, June). ​Phenomenology of Neutrino Oscillations​.

Retrieved from ​https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-ph/9812360.pdf

Borah, D., Nanda, D., Narendra, N., & Sahu, N. (2018, October). ​Right-handed Neutrino Dark

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https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/elementary-particles-and-their-interactio

ns

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3417797/

Lahrz, M. (2007, October). ​The Solar Neutrino Problem​. Retrieved from University Umeå

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