Related papers: Majorana -- like models in the physics of neutral …
We explain the relationship between Majorana neutrinos, which are their own antiparticles, and Majorana neutrino masses. We point out that Majorana masses would make the neutrinos very distinctive particles, and explain why many theorists…
In spite of the general belief that neutrinos are Majorana particles, their character should be revealed experimentally. We begin by discussing why it is so difficult in terrestrial experiments. If neutrinos are Majorana particles, the…
The problem if existing neutrinos are Dirac or Majorana particles is considered in a very pedagogical way. After a few historical remarks we recall the theoretical description of neutral spin 1/2 particles, emphasizing the difference…
It was recently claimed that the observed physical neutrinos cannot be of Majorana type because such particles lack vector interactions. Contrary to this claim we show that if the Majorana neutrino is massless it is indistinguishable from…
Are neutrinos with definite masses Majorana or Dirac particles? This is one of the most fundamental problem of the modern neutrino physics. The solution of this problem could be crucial for understanding of the origin of small neutrino…
The Majorana paper ``Symmetrical theory of the electron and positron'' is briefly reviewed. The present status of Majorana neutrinos is discussed.
The Standard Model is an up-to-date theory that best summarizes current knowledge in particle physics. Although some problems still remain open, it represents the leading model which all physicists refer to. One of the pillars which…
This is an elementary account of neutrinos as Majarona particles and the search for neutrinoless double beta decays. It also includes some more ideas about neutrinos.
These lectures describe some aspects of the physics of massive neutrinos. After a brief introduction of neutrinos in the Standard Model, I discuss possible patterns for their masses. In particular, I show how the presence of a large…
The theoretical basics of neutrino mass and mixing are reviewed. Dirac and Majorana masses are explained, and added together to produce the see-saw picture of the lightness of neutrinos. This picture predicts that neutrinos are Majorana…
A concise discussion of spin-1/2 field equations with a special focus on Majorana spinors is presented. The Majorana formalism which describes massive neutral fermions by the help of two-component or four-component spinors is of fundamental…
Finding out if neutrinos are Dirac or Majorana particles is known to be extremely difficult. This is generally believed to be due to the smallness of the neutrino mass compared to typical neutrino energies, and to the fact that in the limit…
The most plausible see-saw explanation of the smallness of the neutrino masses is based on the assumption that total lepton number is violated at a large scale and neutrinos with definite masses are Majorana particles. In this review we…
Existing data on neutrino-electron scattering do not imply that neutrinos are not Majorana particles. The question of whether neutrinos are of Majorana or of Dirac character remains completely open.
Our present understanding of neutrino properties is reviewed with a particular emphasis on observable differences between Majorana and Dirac neutrinos. Current and future experimental efforts towards measuring neutrino properties are…
The existence of a neutrino magnetic moment implies contributions to the neutrino mass via radiative corrections. We derive model-independent "naturalness" upper bounds on the magnetic moments of Dirac and Majorana neutrinos, generated by…
Assuming that one neutrino type with definite mass is described by a massive Dirac field operator, it is shown that the physical one-particle states for particles and antiparticles can be rotated to each other, irrespective of their…
We compare various formalisms for neutral particles. It is found that they contain unexplained contradictions. Next, we investigate the spin-1/2 and spin-1 cases in different bases. Next, we look for relations with the Majorana-like field…
Neutrino masses provide one of the clearest indications of physics beyond the Standard Model. In this brief review, I discuss the main theoretical frameworks developed to account for them, with particular emphasis on scenarios in which…
The nature of a neutrino, whether it is a Dirac type or Majorana type, may be comprehensively probed using their quantum statistical properties. If the neutrino is a Majorana fermion, then by definition it is identical and indistinguishable…