Faster Than Light Neutrinos: A Historical Overview
OPERA Experiment (2011)
In September 2011, the OPERA (Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus) collaboration reported that neutrinos produced at CERN in Switzerland arrived at the Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy approximately 60 nanoseconds faster than light would travel over the same distance. This finding contradicted Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which posits that nothing can exceed the speed of light. The announcement garnered widespread media attention and led to a flurry of scientific activity, with over 180 papers published in response to the results by the end of 2011, exploring both potential explanations and errors in the OPERA measurements.
Investigation and Error Discovery
Despite initial excitement, skepticism grew among physicists. In early 2012, further investigations revealed that a loose fiber optic cable had introduced timing errors in the OPERA setup. By March 2012, researchers confirmed that neutrinos from other experiments, including those conducted by ICARUS and MINOS, traveled at speeds consistent with light, effectively debunking OPERA’s findings. The OPERA team officially retracted their claims later that year after acknowledging these equipment failures.
Subsequent Experiments
Following OPERA’s announcement, several other experiments were conducted to verify or refute the claim of faster-than-light neutrinos:
- ICARUS: Conducted experiments shortly after OPERA and found neutrinos traveling at light speed.
- MINOS: This experiment also measured neutrino speeds over a similar distance and confirmed they adhered to the speed limit set by light.
- BOREXINO and LVD: Both experiments located at Gran Sasso corroborated that neutrinos do not exceed light speed.
Conclusion
The saga of faster-than-light neutrinos illustrates the rigorous nature of scientific inquiry. Initial groundbreaking claims were scrutinized and ultimately disproven through collaborative efforts across multiple experiments. The scientific community reaffirmed Einstein’s theory of relativity, emphasizing that while unexpected results can capture public interest, they must withstand thorough investigation and validation to be accepted as part of scientific understanding. As noted by CERN’s research director Sergio Bertolucci, this episode exemplified how science progresses through scrutiny and collaboration among competing research teams.
Are there faster than light neutrinos? In a word, no.
Read More
[1] https://www.science.org/content/article/once-again-physicists-debunk-faster-light-neutrinos
[2] https://neutrino-history.in2p3.fr/neutrinos-faster-than-light/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_OPERA_faster-than-light_neutrino_anomaly
[4] https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/when-science-fails-opera-neutrinos/
[5] https://www.technologyreview.com/2011/10/14/190707/faster-than-light-neutrino-puzzle-claimed-solved-by-special-relativity/
[6] https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2012.10249