I'm somewhat confused by the content I studied in Srednicki's work, where the neutrino is described as a Majorana field. In this framework, there shouldn't technically be antineutrinos, given the nature of Majorana particles. A possible refinement might be to assign different lepton numbers to left-handed and right-handed neutrinos, although I don't see why lepton number conservation is necessary. Could there be gaps in my understanding?
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
2
Assuming Neutrinos are indeed Majona Particles makes it so that saying that there aren't antineutrinos feel somewhat incorrect, as it isn't that there aren't antineutrinos, Majorana particles are their own anti-particles, and as such neutrinos are also the antineutrinos.
The reason why the lepton number conservation is necessary is because some reactions like the Neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ), Neutrinoless double beta decay, have yet to be observed, one way to justify this is by assigning lepton numbers and guarantying they are conserved.
Finally, one last thing that could help you is knowing that all neutrinos observed are left-handed, while all antineutrinos are right-handed Sterile neutrinos , and as such if neutrinos are indeed Majorana particles, the neutrino lepton number (+1) would be assigned to the left-handed neutrinos, while the (-1) would be assigned to the right-handed neutrinos.