Prof John Wilkerson

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Going to extremes - Probing Neutrino Properties

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In the past decade our understanding of neutrinos and their role in the universe has undergone a remarkable transformation. We have discovered that neutrinos morph from one species to another as they journey through matter and space. And based on these observations we know that neutrinos are not mass-less particles, but have tiny masses, being at least 250,000 times lighter than electrons. Yet even with such diminutive masses, neutrinos play important roles in shaping the largest scales of the cosmos. Today much remains unknown about neutrino properties. What do neutrinos "weigh" - we still do not know their absolute masses. Are neutrinos and anti-neutrinos indistinguishable from one another (Majorana particles), indicating lepton number violation? Future neutrino experiments are aimed at addressing these questions, but the extreme nature of neutrinos presents daunting experimental challenges.