Abstract
The genius of Ettore Majorana is discussed in the framework of the crucial problems being investigated at the time of his activity. These problems are projected to our present days, where the number of space-time dimensions is no longer four and where the unification of the fundamental forces needs the Majorana particle: neutral, with spin 1/2 and identical to its antiparticle. The mystery of Majorana’s disappearance is confined to few testimonies, while his genius is highlighted through many recollections by eminent physicists of the twentieth century, who had the privilege of knowing him, directly or indirectly. The contributions of Ettore Majorana to the advancement of physics are the reason why Enrico Fermi defined him a genius at the level of Galilei and Newton.
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Notes
- 1.
From the book by A. Zichichi “Ettore Majorana—His genius and long-lasting legacy, 1906–2006” (Società Italiana di Fisica, Bologna) 2007.
- 2.
This third neutrino was named heavy-lepton neutrino, ν HL, when originally proposed.
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Zichichi, A. (2020). The Genius of Ettore Majorana. In: Cifarelli, L. (eds) Scientific Papers of Ettore Majorana. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23509-3_1
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