Neutrino observatory

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Neutrino observatories (also known as neutrino telescopes , neutrino detectors or - somewhat too general - neutrino experiments ) are particle detectors specially designed for the detection and measurement of neutrinos from distant sources. 100 meters or more are considered to be far away.

Because neutrino reactions have very small cross sections, neutrinos only rarely react with normal matter . Neutrino detectors must therefore be very large and usually collect data for years in order to achieve statistically significant measurement results.

On the earth's surface, the rare neutrino events are obscured by the much more frequent signals from muons of secondary cosmic rays . That is why the neutrino detectors are installed at great depths of the sea, under mountains or in mines that are no longer in use.

According to the place of origin of the observed neutrinos a distinction can be made between

  • cosmic neutrinos (space)
  • solar neutrinos (sun)
  • atmospheric neutrinos (earth's atmosphere)
  • Geoneutrinos (Earth's interior)
  • Reactor neutrinos (nuclear reactors)
  • Neutrinos from accelerator experiments

Important neutrino observatories

Some important neutrino observatories are listed in the table below.

Neutrino experiments
observatory sensitivity Detector type Detector material Reaction type reaction Threshold energy
ANTARES ,
Mediterranean, France
cosmic Cherenkov H 2 O
charged electricity
+ N → - + X + N → + + X muons

> 10 GeV [1]
Borexino ,
Gran Sasso, Italy
low energy solar Scintillator H 2 O
C 6 H 3 (CH 3 ) 3
C 15 H 11 NO
elastic scattering
+ e - → + e - 250-665 keV [2]
CLEAN low-energy solar , as well as from supernovae and pulsars
Scintillator liquid neon
elastic scattering
+ e - → + e - + 20 Ne → + 20 Ne
? [3]
Daya Bay ,
Daya Bay , China
Reactor neutrinos Scintillator organic
Gd complex
charged current
(inverse beta decay)
+ p + → n + e + 1.8 MeV [4]
Double Chooz , Chooz Reactor neutrinos Scintillator organic
Gd complex
charged current
(inverse beta decay)
+ p + → n + e + 1.8 MeV [5]
GALLEX ,
Gran Sasso, Italy
solar radiochemical GaCl 3 (30 t Ga )
charged electricity
+ 71 Ga → 71 Ge + e - 233.2 keV [6]
GNO ,
Gran Sasso, Italy
low energy solar radiochemical GaCl 3 (30 t Ga )
charged electricity
+ 71 Ga → 71 Ge + e - 233.2 keV [7]
HERON mainly low energy
solar
Scintillator superfluid helium
neutral electricity
+ e - → + e - 1 MeV [8th]
Homestake – Chlorine ,
Homestake Mine, USA
solar radiochemical C 2 Cl 4 (615 t)
charged electricity
37 Cl + → 37 Ar * + e - 37 Ar *37 Cl + e + +
814 keV [9]
Homestake – Iodine ,
Homestake Mine, USA
solar radiochemical NaI
elastic scattering,
charged current
+ e - → + e - + 127 I → 127 Xe + e -
789 keV [10]
ICARUS ,
Gran Sasso, Italy
solar and atmospheric
neutrinos, and , , of CERN
Cherenkov liquid argon
elastic scattering
+ e - → + e - 5.9 MeV [11]
IceCube ,
South Pole
atmospheric and cosmic , , , possibly more
Cherenkov 1 km³ H 2 O (ice)
charged electricity
+ N → x + X
mainly muons
> 200 GeV; ≈ 10 GeV with
DeepCore extension
[12]
INO ,
Ino Peak, India
atmospheric neutrinos Resistance
plate chamber
Glass
elastic scattering,
charged current
+ e - → + e - + no → e - + p + + p + → e + + no

? [13]
Kamiokande ,
Kamioka, Japan
solar and atmospheric Cherenkov 3,000 t H 2 O
elastic scattering
+ e - → + e - 7.5 MeV [14]
KamLAND ,
Kamioka, Japan
Reactor neutrinos, geoneutrinos Scintillator 1.8 MeV [15]
LENS ,
Gran Sasso, Italy
low energy solar Scintillator In (MVA) x
charged electricity
+ 115 In → 115 Sn + e - + 2γ 120 keV [16]
MOON ,
Washington, USA
low-energy solar and low-energy supernova-
Scintillator 100 Mo (1 t) +
MoF 6 (gaseous)
charged electricity
+ 100 Mo → 100 Tc + e - 168 keV [17]
OPERA ,
Gran Sasso, Italy
, , From CERN Hybrid 2000 t Pb / emulsion +
muon spectrometer
charged electricity
+ N → + X 4.5 GeV [18]
RENO ,
Yeonggwang , South Korea
Reactor neutrinos Scintillator organic
Gd complex
charged current
(inverse beta decay)
+ p + → n + e + 1.8 MeV
SAGE ,
Baksan, Russia
low energy solar radiochemical GaCl 3
charged electricity
+ 71 Ga → 71 Ge + e - 233.2 keV [19]
SNO ,
Sudbury Mine, Canada
solar and atmospheric , , Cherenkov 1000 t D 2 O
charged current,
neutral current,
elastic scattering
+ 2 1 D → p + + p + + e - + 2 1 D → + n o + p + + e - → + e -

6.75 MeV [20]
Super Kamiokande ,
Kamioka, Japan
solar and atmospheric , , and , , of KEK
Cherenkov 32,000 t H 2 O
elastic scattering,
charged current
+ e - → + e - + no → e - + p + + p + → e + + no

? [21]
UN ,
Henderson Mine, USA
solar, atmospheric
and reactor neutrinos
Cherenkov 440,000 t H 2 O
elastic scattering
+ e - → + e - ? [22]