Neutrinos oscillate between types which have different masses. So, if they change masses, do they violate conservation of mass?
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2$\begingroup$ Here's a good resource on a similar question: hep.princeton.edu/~mcdonald/examples/neutrino_osc.pdf $\endgroup$– BallisticThomist39Commented Apr 5, 2020 at 0:02
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1$\begingroup$ Is your question about conservation of mass only or conservation of mass-energy? $\endgroup$– BallisticThomist39Commented Apr 5, 2020 at 0:05
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2 Answers
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You probably know Einstein's famous $E=mc^2$. Our sun utilises this equation to convert mass into energy by nuclear fusion. This relation is also at work in nuclear reactors, where energy is produces by nuclear fission. Hence, mass is not a conserved quantity. Hence, the original question is incorrect.
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$\begingroup$ So you're essentially saying that the energy of the neutrino increases? $\endgroup$– MarkCommented Apr 5, 2020 at 0:21
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2$\begingroup$ No, I'm not saying that. My point is that the question is incorrect: Mass is not a conserved quantity in physics. What is conserved is the energy and the momentum. Hence, if the mass changes, the speed of the neutrino changes -- if we assume a classical picture. However, the neutrino oscillations are usually describes in a quantum picture. Hence, all these quantities must be treated as having an uncertainty. $\endgroup$– NotMeCommented Apr 5, 2020 at 8:52
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The answer is no. As I understand it, the eigenstates of their production process are the flavor eigenstates, while the eigenstates of propagation through space are mass eigenstates. So their energy is conserved as they travel through space, but their flavor is not. I don't work in this field, so someone who does can probably provide more detail.
