The neutrino matrix: why is there three of everything? | Jon Butterworth | Life & Physics

Last week, the Daya Bay experiment in China reported the first measurement of the neutrino mixing angle θ13. This angle is more that "just" another fundamental parameter of nature.Last week's results from the Daya Bay neutrino experiment were the first real measurement of the third neutrino mixing angle, θ13 (theta one-three). There have been previous experiments which set limits on the angle, but this is the first time it has been shown to be significantly different from zero.Since θ13 is a fundamental parameter in the Standard Model of particle physics1, this would be an important measurement anyway. But there's a bit more to it than that.Neutrinos - whatever else they might be doing - mix up amongst themselves as they travel through space. This is a quantum mechanical effect, and comes from the fact that there are two ways of defining the three types of neutrino.You can define them by...

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