- Most subatomic particles have corresponding antiparticles that have the same mass but opposite electrical charges or magnetic properties.
- If a particle is identical to its antiparticle, it is called a Majorana particle. This raises an intriguing question: Could the neutrino be its own antiparticle?
- Could the neutrino be its own antiparticle?
The Universe predominantly consists of matter made of subatomic particles such as electrons, protons, and neutrons. However, there is also a presence of antimatter.
Like ordinary matter, antimatter is also made of subatomic particles, but they are antiparticles. For example, a hydrogen atom consists of an electron and a proton, whereas an antihydrogen atom consists of an antiproton and an antielectron (or positron).
When matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate, leaving behind pure energy, and the dominance of matter over antimatter in our Universe is one of the fundamental questions in science.
Another puzzling (hypothetical) concept is that of particles that are their own antiparticles. First theorized in 1937 by Ettore Majorana, the term applies to fermions, which is an umbrella term for particles like the electron and proton, among others.
As of 2024, all fermions except for the neutrino have been proven to have a distinct antiparticle, implying that they are not Majorana fermions and are termed Dirac fermions.
While they are a curiosity to scientists, you might be wondering why they may be of interest to others. Majorana fermions also have potential applications as qubits in quantum computers, which are the technology of today and tomorrow.
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