Lucky seven for T2K neutrino oscillation breakthrough

A particle physics discovery with significant UK involvement has been included in Physics World magazine’s Top 10 breakthroughs for 2011.

The research, using the T2K experiment (link opens in a new window) in Japan, gave direct evidence for the first time of a new way that different types or ‘flavours’ of neutrinos could spontaneously change into each other (link opens in a new window), a phenomenon called ‘neutrino oscillation’.

This level of complexity opens the possibility that the oscillations of neutrinos and their anti-particles (called anti-neutrinos) could be different. And if the oscillations of neutrinos and anti-neutrinos are different, it would be an example of what physicists call CP violation. This could be the key to explaining why there is more matter than anti-matter in the universe (an excess which could not happen within the known laws of physics).

Commenting on the accolade, Professor Dave Wark of STFC and Imperial College, and leader of the UK T2K group said, “This is a great honour for everyone in the collaboration. The indications from our early data were very exciting, and work in Japan is going night and day to repair the facility after the March 2011 earthquake so that we can get enough data to see even more clearly how these neutrinos behave.”

Professor John Womersley, STFC Chief Executive Officer added, “It is great to see fundamental research getting wide recognition. The UK plays a key role in the T2K experiment and the team should be proud of this achievement. It has been quite a year for particle physics!”

The neutrino oscillation research was named seventh place in Physics World magazine’s (link opens in a new window)top 10 breakthroughs of 2011.