In a landmark achievement, scientists in China have completed the colossal Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), releasing its first groundbreaking results. This state-of-the-art underground facility is now poised to unlock the secrets of neutrinos, promising to alter our comprehension of the universe. According to Physics World, this $330m endeavor is located in the scenic Kaiping City, Guangdong Province, and stands as a marvel of modern engineering.
The Odyssey of JUNO’s Construction
JUNO embarked on its journey in 2015, grappling with formidable challenges, including severe flooding that hampered its progress. Yet, the tenacity of its creators persevered, and by 2020, the facility was ready to enter its three-decade-long scientific voyage. The heart of JUNO is its awe-inspiring sphere - a 35-meter-radius detector housing 20,000 tonnes of liquid scintillator, designed to capture the elusive neutrinos by observing the light flashes triggered by their interactions.
Pioneering Discoveries Await
As 18 November marks the submission of their findings to the arXiv preprint server, JUNO’s outcomes have already showcased that the facility’s performance indicators are on par with, or even surpass, expectations. Among its major tasks is investigating the oscillation of neutrinos - tiny, nearly massless particles that puzzle physicists worldwide. The discovery will help measure solar neutrino oscillation parameters with unparalleled precision, rekindling debates on the solar neutrino tension - a notable discrepancy with the Standard Model of particle physics.
A Global Collaboration
This venture is no lone expedition. JUNO represents the collaborative brilliance of 700 scientists from 75 institutions spanning 17 countries. Guided by Yifang Wang from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this international coalition aims to not just redefine physics but also set the bar for future neutrino explorations.
Part of a Bigger Picture
JUNO is pivotal in a trilogy of next-generation neutrino experiments, alongside the Hyper-Kamiokande in Japan and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment in the United States, both set to illuminate new cosmic phenomena in the upcoming decades.
Their quest transcends mere scientific curiosity, venturing into the unknown to answer some of the universe’s oldest enigmas. With JUNO’s first success, the cosmic ballet of neutrinos, once a mystery, begins to unfold, one photon at a time.
