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| | [[Image:First neutrino observation.jpg|right|thumb|Observation of a neutrino hitting a proton in a [[bubble chamber]].]] | | [[Image:First neutrino observation.jpg|right|thumb|Observation of a neutrino hitting a proton in a [[bubble chamber]].]] |
| − | '''Neutrinos''' are one of the fundamental [[particle]]s which make up the [[universe]]. They are also one of the least understood. Neutrinos are similar to the [[electron]], with one crucial difference: neutrinos do not carry [[electric charge]]. Because neutrinos are electrically [[neutral]], they are not affected by the electromagnetic forces which act on electrons. Neutrinos are affected only by a "weak" sub-atomic force of much shorter range than electromagnetism, and are therefore able to pass through great distances in matter without being affected by it. If neutrinos have [[mass]], they also interact gravitationally with other massive particles, but [[gravity]] is by far the weakest of the four known forces.
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| − | Three types of neutrinos are known; there is strong evidence that no additional neutrinos exist, unless their properties are unexpectedly very different from the known types. Each type or "flavor" of neutrino is related to a charged particle (which gives the corresponding neutrino its name). Hence, the "electron neutrino" is associated with the electron, and two other neutrinos are associated with heavier versions of the electron called the muon and the tau (elementary particles are frequently labeled with [[Greek]] letters, to confuse the layman). The table below lists the known types of neutrinos (and their electrically charged partners).
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| | [[category:physics]] | | [[category:physics]] |
