Besson D, Cowen D, Selen M, Wiebusch C
Department of Physics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Dec 7;96(25):14201-2. doi: 10.1073/pnas.96.25.14201.
Neutrinos represent a new "window" to the Universe, spanning a large range of energy. We discuss the science of neutrino astrophysics and focus on two energy regimes. At "lower" energies ( approximately 1 MeV), studies of neutrinos born inside the sun, or produced in interactions of cosmic rays with the atmosphere, have allowed the first incontrovertible evidence that neutrinos have mass. At energies typically one thousand to one million times higher, sources further than the sun (both within the Milky Way and beyond) are expected to produce a flux of particles that can be detected only through neutrinos.
中微子代表了一扇通往宇宙的全新“窗口”，其能量范围跨度很大。我们将探讨中微子天体物理学的科学内容，并聚焦于两个能量区域。在“较低”能量（约1兆电子伏特）下，对诞生于太阳内部或宇宙射线与大气相互作用中产生的中微子的研究，首次提供了确凿证据，证明中微子具有质量。在能量通常高出一千到一百万倍的情况下，距离太阳更远的源（包括银河系内和银河系外）预计会产生一股只能通过中微子探测到的粒子流。
