Neutrinos were theoretically predicted back in 1934. But these elementary particles continue to be the focus of scientific mysteries for scientists. To further understand the physics of these particles, a gigantic complex with a system of underground tunnels is being created in the United States. A little over a month ago, large-scale excavation work was completed, during which 800 thousand tons of rock were extracted. The next step is to prepare the premises for the deployment of equipment, which will take years.
Image source: techspot.com
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will include two neutrino detectors: near and far. The base between the muon neutrino source at Fermilab and the distant detector will be 1300 km. The near detector will be located near the source, and the far detector will be located in South Dakota near the Sanford Laboratory. In August, workers finished excavating the soil beneath the Sanford Laboratory, creating, among other things, an underground space for a detector as tall as a 7-story building.
An impressive volume of soil between the laboratory neutrino source and the distant detector, as well as special chambers for them, containing 17 thousand tons of liquid argon, are needed to filter out neutrinos from other sources (cosmic and, especially solar), as well as to filter other elementary particles . Neutrinos interact very weakly with matter. They need good filters and special detectors. For example, to increase the probability of a neutrino colliding with matter to 50%, it is necessary to send it through a solid wall of lead one light-year thick. The thickness of the earth, liquid argon and other technical solutions are designed to create the most favorable conditions for detecting neutrinos in the experiment.
Experimental design. Image source: Wikipedia
As the US Department of Energy, which is funding the project from the budget, recently announced, installation of detectors in the far part of the project is scheduled for 2028, and only after that the near detector will be installed. Previously, it was planned to complete the last phase of commissioning the detector in 2027. It looks like the plans will last for another years: from 3 to 5 years.