Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The rise and fall of the 17-keV neutrino

  • Progress
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Experiments showing evidence for a heavy neutrino with a mass of 17 keV launched the new particle on an erratic eight-year career, during which it raised questions about the Standard Model of particle physics and about cosmological theories, stimulated many theoretical papers and pushed experimental techniques to their limit. Its demise provides grounds for faith in the efficacy of the scientific method.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Simpson, J. J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 1891–1893 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Combined results of the four LEP experiments—ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL—presented by J. Lefrancois at Int. Europhysics Conf. on High Energy Phys. Marseille, 22–28 July 1993.

  3. Alzitzoglou, T. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 799–802 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ohi, T. et al. Phys. Lett. B160, 322–324 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Apalikov, A. M. et al. Zh. eksp. teor. Fiz. 42, 233 (1985); also as JETP Lett. 42, 289–292 (1985).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Datar, V. M. et al. Nature 318, 547–548 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Markey, J. & Boehm, F. Phys. Rev. C32, 2215–2216 (1985).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lindhard, J. & Hansen, P. G. Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 965–967 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Drukarev, E. G. & Strikman, M. I. Phys. Lett. B186, 1–5 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Koonin, S. E. Nature 354, 468–470 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Simpson, J. J. Phys. Lett. B174, 113–114 (1986); also in Proc. Moriond Workshop on Massive Neutrinos in Particle Phys. and Astrophy. (eds Tran Thanh Van, J. & Fackler, D.) 565–577 (Edns Frontieres, Gif-sur-Yvette, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hetherington, D. W. Phys. Rev. C36, 1504–1513 (1987).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Borge, M. J. G. et al. Physica Scripta 34, 591–596 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Morrison, D. R. O. in Joint Lepton-Photon Symposium and Europhysics Conf. on High Energy Physics, Geneva (eds Hegarty, S., Potter, K. & Quercigh, E.) 599–606 (World Scientific, Singapore, 1991).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Simpson, J. J. & Hime, A. Phys. Rev. D39, 1825–1836 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hime, A. & Simpson, J. J. Phys. Rev. D39, 1837–1850 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hime, A. & Jelley, N. A. Phys. Lett. B257, 441–449 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Planskoy, B. Nucl. Instrum. Meth. 61, 285–295 (1968).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hime, A. & Jelley, N. A. Oxford University Dept. of Nuclear Physics preprint OUNP-91-21 (1991).

  20. Sur, B. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 2444–2446 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Zlimen, I., Ljubicic, A., Kaucic, S. & Logan, B. A. Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 560–563 (1991).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. DiGregorio, D. E. et al. Tandar, Argentina preprint LNY584-L1-SB (1992); also as Phys. Rev. Lett. (submitted).

  23. Glashow, S. L. Phys. Lett. B256, 255–257 (1991).

    Article  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Simpson, J. J. Phys. Lett. B269, 454–457 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Salati, P. Report No. A-418/93 (ENSLAPP, Annecy-le-Vieux, 1993).

  26. Morrison, D. R. O. in Moriond Conf. on Progr. in Atom. Phys., Neutrinos and Gravitation (eds Chardin, G., Fackler, D. & Tran Thanh Van, J.) 207–216 (Edns Frontieres, Gif-sur-Yvette, 1992); also as Uzpekhi 154(4), 719–752 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Workshop on the 17 keV Neutrino (Convenor Sadoulet, B.) Center for Astrophysics, Univ. California at Berkeley, 18–20 Dec. 1991.

  28. Oshima, T. et al. KEK (Natnl. Lab. for High Energies, Japan) preprint 92–184 (1992); also as Phys. Rev. D (submitted).

  29. Kawakami, H. et al. Phys, Lett. B287, 45–50 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mortara, J. L. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 394–397 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Chen, M. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 3151–3154 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hime, A. presented at XV Int. Conf. on Neutrino Phys. and Astrophys. Grenada, 1992; Nucl. Phys. (Proc. Suppl.) 31, 50–56 (1993).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Berman, G. E., Pitt, M. L., Calaprice, F. P. & Lowry, M. M. Phys. Rev. Lett. (in the press).

  34. Wietfeldt, F. E. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 1759–1762 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Kalbfleisch, G. R. & Bahran, M. Y. Phys. Lett. B291, 336–340 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Holzschuh, E. & Kundig, W. presented at Moriond Conf. on Perspectives in Neutrinos, Atomic Phys. and Gravitation Villar-sur-Ollon, (1993).

  37. Stoeffl, et al. reported by Caldwell, D. O. in Am. Phys. Soc. Div. of Particles and Fields Meeting, Fermilab, 1992.

  38. Jelley, N. presented at Moriond Conf. on Perspectives in Neutrinos, Atomic Phys. and Gravitation Villars-sur-Ollon, 31 Jan.–6 Feb. 1993.

  39. Hime, A. Phys. Lett. B299, 165–173 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Hime, A. Moriond Conf. on Perspectives in Neutrinos, Atomic Phys. and Gravitation Villars-sur-Ollon (1993).

  41. Piilonen, L. & Abashian, A, in Moriond Conf. on Progress in Atomic Phys. Neutrinos and Gravitation (eds Chardin, G., Fackler, D. & Tran Thanh Van, J.) 225–234 (Edns Frontieres, Gif-sur-Yvette, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  42. Bonvicini, G. Z. Phys. A345, 97 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Robertson, R. G. H. presented at Int. Conf. on High Energy Phys. Dallas, August 1993.

  44. Bahcall, J. N., Davis, R. Jr & Wolfenstein, L. Nature 334, 487–494 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CERN, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland

    Douglas R. O. Morrison

Authors
  1. Douglas R. O. Morrison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morrison, D. The rise and fall of the 17-keV neutrino. Nature 366, 29–32 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/366029a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/366029a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation