Neutrino Tea

Editorial Science Illustration • Symmetry Magazine • 2025
A stylized scene showing neutrinos passing through a teacup. A graphical magnifier behind the cup shows events at the atomic level (exaggerated, not to scale). Neutrinos are often called 'ghost particles': despite their large quantities (trillions pass through us every second), they rarely interact with matter. To interact with an atom, a neutrino must actually hit its nucleus — a tiny cluster of protons and neutrons in a vast, empty space. The odds are incredibly low; artistic license was taken for this illustration to show more interactions than are likely to happen. Art by Olena Shmahalo for Symmetry Magazine.

FOR
Symmetry Magazine / Sandbox Studio
Thanks to AD Michael Branigan

WORK
Concepts & illustration

TOOLS
CSP, Procreate

INFO
Neutrinos are often called "ghost particles": despite their large quantities (trillions pass through us every second, their numbers surpassed only by photons), they rarely interact with matter.

In this stylized scene, neutrinos pass through a teacup. A graphical magnifier behind the cup shows events at the atomic level (exaggerated, not to scale). To interact with an atom, a neutrino must actually hit its nucleus — a tiny cluster of protons and neutrons in a vast, empty space. The odds are incredibly low; artistic license was taken for this illustration to show more interactions than are likely to happen.

For a Symmetry Magazine article by Sarah Charley: Why do neutrinos rarely interact?

Rough sketches of neutrinos passing through symbolic traps (fly trap, cages, spider web), and one of neutrinos passing through a tea cup.

Concept thumbnails

Three of these explored ideas of symbolic traps catching neutrinos (mostly failing), which would be refined in later stages. The teacup was directly inspired by the text. Sketching in color can help visualize ideas and create interest, but is not indicative of the final color scheme. Because neutrinos fly in all directions, their arrangement was changed from the sketches to final.

Thumbnails showing the process of an illustration, from concepts to finish. The artwork is a stylized scene of a teacup with neutrinos passing through. A graphical magnifier behind the cup shows events at the atomic level (exaggerated): despite their great quantities, few neutrinos ever interact with matter.

The process from sketch to final can include composition changes, color palette testing, and other R&D and refinements.

Screenshot of a stylized illustration of a teacup and zooming neutrinos on SymmetryMagazine.org

© Olena Shmahalo