elektronøytrino

The elektronøytrino, denoted by the symbol νe, is a fundamental elementary particle of the Standard Model of particle physics. It is a type of neutrino, which are leptons and are known for their extremely small mass and lack of electric charge. The elektronøytrino is specifically associated with the electron and the electron antineutrino (νe) with the positron.

Neutrinos are produced in various nuclear processes, such as nuclear fusion in stars, radioactive decay, and in particle accelerators. They interact with other matter very weakly, making them notoriously difficult to detect. This weak interaction is mediated by the W and Z bosons, and through gravity. The electron neutrino participates in the weak nuclear force and has a spin of 1/2, classifying it as a fermion.

The concept of the neutrino was first proposed by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 to explain the continuous energy spectrum observed in beta decay. Enrico Fermi later developed the theory of beta decay, incorporating the neutrino. The electron neutrino was experimentally confirmed in 1956 by Clyde Cowan and Frederick Reines.

The mass of the electron neutrino is known to be very small, but its exact value is still an active area of research. Unlike other fundamental particles, neutrinos are not composed of smaller constituents. They are believed to be stable particles. The electron neutrino is one of three known types, or "flavors," of neutrinos, the others being the muon neutrino and the tau neutrino. These flavors can oscillate into one another, a phenomenon that provides evidence for neutrinos having mass.