University of Bern tests prototype for measuring neutrinos
Published: Wednesday, Aug 14th 2024, 12:10
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The University of Bern has developed a detector that is suitable for observing neutrinos. The prototype is being used at a world-leading laboratory for particle physics in the USA.
The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) in the USA aims to unravel the secrets of neutrino elementary particles. They already played an important role in the early stages of the universe, as the University of Bern announced in a press release on Wednesday.
For the experiment, a neutrino beam was sent from the particle physics research center Fermilab in Chicago to South Dakota, 1300 kilometers to the west. By taking measurements at nearby and distant sources, the researchers want to find out how the particles change type on their journey. This phenomenon is known as neutrino oscillation. The counterpart of neutrinos, antineutrinos, will also be investigated.
A detector like the one at the University of Bern can detect an intense stream of neutrinos and antineutrinos in 3D images. Nothing like this has ever been built or tested before, according to the statement. According to Michele Weber, Director of the Laboratory for High Energy Physics (LHEP) and head of the Bernese DUNE group, the successful neutrino detection now allows the detectors to be finalized and scaled up.
Following maintenance work, the neutrino beam at Fermilab will be put back into operation in fall 2024. The prototype will then record around 10,000 images per day for several months.
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