BBC News - Neutrino 'ghost particle' sized up by astronomers

Neutrinos are particles that can travel through 1 light year of lead without interacting with any of the lead atoms.  It is extremely small and light and is responsible for a small portion of dark matter.  Professor Lahav believes neutrinos are a minor component of cold dark matter, the mysterious "stuff" which comprises some 25% of the Universe and more than 80% of matter in the Universe.

"The neutrino is squeezed into that slice [of the Universe] that is dark matter. But it probably accounts for less than one percent of that dark matter," he told BBC News.

The neutrino particle comes in three "flavours": muon, tau and electron. In a recent experiment, physicists caught a neutrino in the act of changing from one type to another.

BBC News - Neutrino 'ghost particle' sized up by astronomers

A New Experiment in the Hunt for Neutrinos

Astronomers Suspect High Energy Neutrinos Could be Detected on Moon

This article goes to show that even the largest particle collider has nothing on the moon.  In fact, scientists suggest that the moon acts as a large particle collider that can be used to detect high energy neutrinos.  Neutrinos have no electrical charge meaning that they don't react to magnetic fields.  They are difficult to detect because they pass through matter and are extremely rare.  Best case scenario for detecting neutrinos on the moon occurs only a handful of times per month.

Read more at Suite101: A New Experiment in the Hunt for Neutrinos: Astronomers Suspect High Energy Neutrinos Could be Detected on Moon | Suite101.com 
http://particle-physics.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_new_experiment_in_the_hunt_for_neutrinos#ixzz0Yz2zaX1j


Photo Credit: Berkley Labs