China launches JUNO, the largest neutrino detector in the world: A 35-meter sphere containing 20,000 tons of liquid designed to detect the invisible particles.
The Mystery of Neutrinos
Ever since Wolfgang Pauli first proposed the existence of neutrinos in 1930, these elusive particles have baffled scientists. Neutrinos pass through us by the trillions every second without any interaction, making them incredibly difficult to study directly.
JUNO: Deciphering Ghostly Particles
The inauguration of JUNO marks a significant step forward in the quest to understand neutrinos. This massive neutrino detector, located in China, features a cylindrical pool 44 meters deep with an acrylic sphere over 35 meters in diameter containing 20,000 tons of scintillator liquid. Equipped with 45,000 photomultiplier tubes, JUNO is poised to capture even the faintest interactions of neutrinos, providing invaluable insights into these mysterious particles.
Unraveling the Universe’s Secrets
While the technical challenges of operating JUNO are immense, the potential rewards are even greater. By studying neutrinos, researchers hope to unlock fundamental secrets about the nature of matter and the universe itself. Wang Yifang, the project’s spokesperson, believes that each flash of light detected by JUNO could hold the key to unraveling some of the deepest mysteries of physics.
