新华鲜报丨地下700米捕捉“幽灵粒子” 我国开启中微子研究新篇章

Core Insights - The Jiangmen Neutrino Experiment (JUNO) has officially begun data collection, aiming to address significant questions in particle physics, particularly the mass ordering of neutrinos [1][2] - This facility, located 700 meters underground, features a large organic glass sphere designed to detect elusive neutrinos, which are fundamental particles that interact very weakly with matter [1][3] Group 1: Experiment Overview - The JUNO experiment is equipped with a core detector containing 20,000 tons of liquid scintillator, surrounded by thousands of photomultiplier tubes to capture faint light signals generated by neutrino interactions [3] - The construction of this high-precision detector involved significant challenges, including the successful infusion of over 60,000 tons of ultra-pure water within 45 days, ensuring stability and safety of the detector structure [3] Group 2: Research Goals and Future Plans - The experiment aims not only to determine the mass ordering of neutrinos but also to measure neutrino oscillation parameters with higher precision and explore various astrophysical phenomena, including supernovae and solar neutrinos [2][4] - Designed for a lifespan of 30 years, JUNO has the potential for upgrades to investigate neutrinoless double beta decay, which could provide insights into the absolute mass of neutrinos and their nature as Majorana particles [4]