Lecture / Seminar
"A View of our Universe from 2km Underground"
by Dr. Art McDonald, Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
By creating a location that is essentially free from radioactive background, sensitive measurements can be performed to test fundamental laws of physics with neutrinos from the Sun, Dark Matter particles left over from the Big Bang and rare forms of radioactivity. The presentation will illustrate the unique scientific and engineering aspects of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) project, where an ultra-clean laboratory and large (22m by 34m) detector has been constructed 2km underground in CVRD-INCO's Creighton mine. Neutrinos are basic sub-atomic particles that pass easily through the rock, but other cosmic-ray particles are stopped and prevented from interfering with the detection of neutrinos. Using 1000 tonnes of heavy water from Canada's resreves, SNO has observed neutrinos from the cor of Sun and has found clear evidence for neutrino flavor change. Theis requires modification of the Standard Model for elementary particles and confirms theories of energy generation in the Sun with great accuracy. The underground facility is now being expanded to create a long-te5rm international facility for underground science (SNOLAB) with the lowest radioactive background available anywhere. Future measurements will study Dark Matter, thought to make up about 25% of the Universe, and Double Beta Decay, a rare form of radioactivity that can provide insight into the creation of matter during the original Big Bang. The results of SNO to date, their impact on fundamental physics and astrophysics, and the future scientific program for SNO and SNOLAB will be described.
"A View of our Universe from 2km Underground"
by Dr. Art McDonald, Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
By creating a location that is essentially free from radioactive background, sensitive measurements can be performed to test fundamental laws of physics with neutrinos from the Sun, Dark Matter particles left over from the Big Bang and rare forms of radioactivity. The presentation will illustrate the unique scientific and engineering aspects of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) project, where an ultra-clean laboratory and large (22m by 34m) detector has been constructed 2km underground in CVRD-INCO's Creighton mine. Neutrinos are basic sub-atomic particles that pass easily through the rock, but other cosmic-ray particles are stopped and prevented from interfering with the detection of neutrinos. Using 1000 tonnes of heavy water from Canada's resreves, SNO has observed neutrinos from the cor of Sun and has found clear evidence for neutrino flavor change. Theis requires modification of the Standard Model for elementary particles and confirms theories of energy generation in the Sun with great accuracy. The underground facility is now being expanded to create a long-te5rm international facility for underground science (SNOLAB) with the lowest radioactive background available anywhere. Future measurements will study Dark Matter, thought to make up about 25% of the Universe, and Double Beta Decay, a rare form of radioactivity that can provide insight into the creation of matter during the original Big Bang. The results of SNO to date, their impact on fundamental physics and astrophysics, and the future scientific program for SNO and SNOLAB will be described.
Pricing & Tickets
Huggins Science Hall