|The Reines Lecture Series honors Frederick Reines, UCI's Founding Dean of Physical Sciences and co-recipient of the 1995 Novel Prize for discovering the neutrino.
Nobel Prize in Physics 1995
University of California, Irvine
In a so-called beta-decay of a nucleus, a neutron is converted to a proton amd at the same time an electron is produced. When studying e.g. the electron velocity, it was clear that the decay violated energy conservation and other decay properties. A proposal was made that in the decay an additional particle, called a neutrino, was created. In the beginning of the 1950s Frederick Reines used a water tank, located close to a nuclear reactor and discovered reactions showing the existence of the neutrino.
The Reines Lecture Series brings world renowned physicists and astronomers to UC Irvine to give a public lecture and a department colloquium. This celebration honors the rich history of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and brings together faculty, students, supporters, and the community at large.