MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Japanese physicist Takaaki Kajita, together with Canadian Arthur McDonald, won on Tuesday the 2015 physics Nobel Prize for their discovery of neutrino oscillations, called flavors, revealing that neutrinos have mass.
"The Nobel Prize in Physics 2015 recognises Takaaki Kajita in Japan and Arthur B. McDonald in Canada, for their key contributions to the experiments which demonstrated that neutrinos change identities. This metamorphosis requires that neutrinos have mass. The discovery has changed our understanding of the innermost workings of matter and can prove crucial to our view of the universe," the press release said.
“When I received the phone call I was checking my emails” Takaaki Kajita, awarded the 2015 #NobelPrize in Physics pic.twitter.com/bTuK9O2VPe
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) 6 октября 2015
According to the press release, the experiments continue aiming to get a deeper insight into the nature of neutrino.
"Now the experiments continue and intense activity is underway worldwide in order to capture neutrinos and examine their properties," the press release said.
#NobelPrize for physics awarded for unmasking the neutrino by @jjbw http://t.co/R33VKoCFVD pic.twitter.com/xCbxCC4jEv
— Pallab Ghosh (@BBCPallab) 6 октября 2015
The discovery contributes to the worldwide study of neutrino characteristics. New discoveries about neutrino peculiarities could change scientists' conception of the history and structure of the universe, according to the press release.