Source: DD News
Context: The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) in China is set to begin operations in 2025, aiming to gather data on neutrinos to solve fundamental mysteries in particle physics.
Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO):
- Location: Built 700 meters underground in China’s Guangdong province.
- Purpose: Designed to detect neutrinos emitted by nearby nuclear power plants, the sun, and Earth’s mantle.
- Detector: Features a 600 metric ton spherical detector with thousands of light-detecting tubes.
- Timeline: Expected to start operations in late 2025.
- Collaboration: Scientists from France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the U.S. are involved.
- Global impact: Aims to surpass similar projects in the U.S. and Europe in neutrino research.
About Neutrinos:
- Fundamental particle: Neutrinos are elementary particles produced in high-energy processes like nuclear reactions in stars.
- Hard to detect: Neutrinos rarely interact with matter due to their lack of electrical charge.
- Origins: Produced by stars, supernovae, and on Earth in nuclear reactors and accelerators.
- Key in physics: Studying neutrinos helps understand processes in the sun, the universe’s formation, and Earth’s interior.
- Future applications: Could revolutionize astronomy and medical imaging; potential for long-distance communication via neutrinos.
Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO):
- Proposal: Conceived in 2005 to study neutrinos using a detector under Tamil Nadu’s Bodi West Hills.
- Budget: Initially funded at Rs 1,500 crore by the Indian government.
- Approval: Received environment ministry clearance in 2018.
- Challenges: Faces opposition due to environmental concerns, including its location in a tiger corridor and potential impact on local ecology.
- Status: Construction is stalled due to opposition from environmentalists and local government, with no significant progress to date.
Insta Links:
