Archive

Neutrinos 101

Learn more about the invisible particles constantly streaming through us all.

Illustration: A scientist studies the forms before her without realizing the forms behind her

03/07/23

Do hidden influences give neutrinos their tiny mass?

The quest to understand the small mass of neutrinos is also a quest to discover new particles.

Illustration of a person measuring a "Supernova" car with a measuring tape

01/24/23

Ways to weigh a neutrino

For decades scientists have tried to find a way to measure the mass of the lightest matter particle known to exist. Three new approaches now have a chance to succeed.

Illustration of a scientist holding a bunch of balloons, one of which is different from the others

08/04/22

Why aren’t neutrinos adding up?

Physicists take on the mystery of the missing (and extra) neutrinos.

Illustration: Neutrinos revealed in particle physics advent calendar with scientists eyeing another possibility

08/17/21

The search for the sterile neutrino

Back when it was theorized, scientists weren’t sure they would ever detect the neutrino; now they’re searching for a version of the particle that could be even more elusive.

05/13/21

Which neutrino is the heaviest?

The question may seem simple, but physicists don’t yet know the answer. New measurements aim to change that.

The LBNF beamline will use a one-megawatt capable focusing horn to direct the charged particles that become neutrinos.

11/13/19

How do you make the world’s most powerful neutrino beam?

DUNE will need lots of neutrinos—and to make them, scientists and engineers will use extreme versions of some common sounding ingredients: magnets and pencil lead.

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12/19/12

US-CERN partnership to accelerate neutrino research

US institutions are working with the SHINE experiment at CERN to better understand the particle interactions that produce neutrinos.

Illustration of the neutrino beam for the proposed LBNE experiment would travel through to a far detector in Lead, SD

12/12/12

DOE grants CD-1 approval to LBNE project

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment took another step forward, receiving approval from the US Department of Energy for the first phase of the project.

Illustration of neutrinos and other particles moving down tube

11/13/12

Neutrinos are elusive particles that are difficult to study, yet they may help explain some of the biggest mysteries of our universe. Using accelerators to make neutrino beams, scientists are unveiling the neutrinos’ secrets.

11/13/12

Video: How to make a neutrino beam

Illustration of Journey to SNOLAB "Picasso" "Mini Clean" "COUPP" DEAP-360"

11/05/12

Voyage to SNOLAB

A growing number of scientists are looking for ways to join a dream team of experiments in a unique laboratory a mile and a half underground in Ontario. There, they seek to solve some of the biggest mysteries in physics today, including the case of missing dark matter.

11/05/12

East Coasters brave Hurricane Sandy to keep neutrino project on schedule

Hurricane Sandy hit the night before an important project review, but scientists, engineers and project personnel didn't let that stand in their way.

10/10/12

Time projection chambers: a milestone in particle detector technology

At the heart of many particle physics experiments sits a device with a catchy name: the time projection chamber. With an important job and a storied history, TPCs have a special place in particle physics.

09/27/12

Researchers propose machine for a clean, mean neutrino beam

Scientists hope to enlist the help of muons in their quest to find a fourth type of neutrino.

Photo collage of NOvA construction images

09/25/12

Streaming science

What may be the world’s largest freestanding plastic structure is taking shape in Ash River, Minn. You’re invited to watch.

09/20/12

African School of Physics student awarded international fellowship

Laza Rakotondravohitra will pursue his Ph.D. as part of the MINERvA experiment at Fermilab.

09/12/12

NOvA: Exploring neutrino mysteries

On Monday, Sept. 10, crews finished installing the first block of the 14-kiloton NOvA detector. What will the experiment do?

09/06/12

Crews complete first block of North America’s most advanced neutrino experiment

08/17/12

Scientists place new limits on sterile neutrinos

Photo of Fermilab Deputy Director Young-Kee Kim

08/10/12

Proposed neutrino experiment bounces back, ready to move on

Thanks to a new phased construction plan, the proposed Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment is back on track and ready to advance to the next stage of the U.S. Department of Energy approval process.

08/01/12

Voyage into the unknown

In the deep, dark quantum sea known as the Intensity Frontier, particle physicists expect to find everything from exotic new particles to new insights into the evolution of our universe.

06/05/12