neutrino
/njuːˈtriːnəʊ
/noun (plural neutrinos)
A neutral subatomic particle with a mass close to zero and half-integral spin, which rarely reacts with normal matter. Three kinds of neutrinos are known, associated with the electron, muon, and tau particle.The leptons consist of the charged electron, muon and tau, together with three electronically neutral particles - the electron neutrino, muon neutrinos and tau neutrinos....
- The proton and the neutron are baryons; the electron, the muon, and the neutrino are leptons; whilst the pions are mesons.
- The electron and muon neutrinos are easier to produce and detect than the tau neutrino.
Origin
1930s: from Italian, diminutive of neutro 'neutral'.