Philosopher Proposes Recasting Neutrinos as Quantum States in Standard Model

George Hobart of the University of Bristol presented an argument for reorganizing the standard model of particle physics around families of particles rather than individual ones at the Foundations of Physics conference in Irvine, California, on 17 June.

Hobart focused on neutrinos, which interact only weakly through gravity or the weak nuclear force and whose mass cannot be predicted by the standard model's Higgs mechanism. The model currently lists three neutrinos—the electron neutrino, muon neutrino and tau neutrino—each paired with a more massive partner particle.

Unlike their partners, the neutrinos can change from one type to another. Hobart proposed treating entire rows of the standard model as the fundamental units. Under this view the three neutrinos would represent quantum states of a single more basic entity rather than three separate objects.

He said the change would not alter any physics but would offer a different philosophical interpretation of the existing theory. "This is not changing any of the physics. " Hobart said. Noel Swanson of the University of Delaware noted that current particle classifications rest on idealizations still under debate among philosophers.

He said proposals such as Hobart's merit consideration because mass and flavor are unlikely to be the most fundamental properties. The discussion of the philosophical nature of particles continues alongside experimental work on neutrinos, Swanson added.