As we dig deeper into the subject, we start noticing hints of chirality even at the smallest building blocks of matter.
Dealing with massive particles like electrons and quarks adds a layer of complexity to the puzzle. If a massive particle is moving slowly, a speedy observer could catch up to it and essentially mirror its direction, thus changing its chirality. That’s why when scientists talk about the chirality of massive particles, they often refer to the mathematical description of the particle’s quantum properties. When you rotate a particle, its quantum wave function shifts either to the left or to the right depending on its chirality.
When we take a closer look at things, we might stumble upon some cool insights about our world. Just make sure to watch out for the milk.
It turns out that almost every elementary particle has its mirror twin. For instance, a negatively charged left-handed electron has its counterpart in the positively charged right-handed anti-positron.
What’s also interesting is that there seems to be one particle missing in the reflection world. The neutrino has only been observed in its left-handed form so far. Scientists are currently investigating whether a right-handed neutrino exists or if neutrinos and their mirror images are practically the same, which could shed some light on why there’s ‘something’ rather than ‘nothing’ in the universe.
