Date:2011-10-31, 4:00pm

Venue:Conference Hall 104, Science Building

Title: Faster-Than-Light Neutrinos: Real Stuff or Phantoms of the OPERA?

Speaker: Prof. Yongshi Wu

Department of Physics, Fudan University

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah

Abstract:About one month ago the OPERA Collaboration announced that they have measured neutrinos (with energy about 17 GeV) traveling from CERN near Geneva, Switzerland to Gran Sasso laboratory in central Italy faster than the speed light (with time of flight about 60 ns shorter). If true, this result is extraordinary. However, there are many reasons to be skeptical. In this colloquium-level talk, I will give some background on the underground neutrino experiments, review the potentially revolutionary news from OPERA, discuss relevant issues and comment on certain recent theoretical papers.