Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope
Encyclopedia
Since 1993, neutrino
research has been conducted at the Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope (BDUNT) which is located 1.1 km below the surface of Lake Baikal
.
The first part of NT-200, the detector NT-36 with 36 optical modules (OMs) at 3 short strings, was put into operation and took data up to March 1995. A 72-OMs array, NT-72, run in 1995–1996. In 1996, it was replaced by the four-string array NT-96. Over its 700 days effective lifetime, 320,000,000 muon
events were collected with NT-36, NT-72, and NT-96. The lake Baikal Neutrino Telescope is unique among neutrino telescopes in that its location allows it to look out for a hypothetical particle known as a monopole
which is a candidate for dark matter
. Due to its design, BDUNT picks up a lot of atmospheric neutrinos created by solar winds interacting with the atmosphere — as opposed to cosmic neutrinos which can give clues to cosmic events and are therefore of greater interest to physicists.
Beginning 6 April 1997, NT-144, a six-string array with 144 OMs, took data in Lake Baikal
. NT-200 array was completed in April 1998. The Baikal Neutrino Telescope NT-200 is being deployed in Lake Baikal, 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) from shore at a depth of 1.1 kilometre (0.683510010314787 mi). It consists of 192 optical modules (OMs).
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
research has been conducted at the Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope (BDUNT) which is located 1.1 km below the surface of Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
.
The first part of NT-200, the detector NT-36 with 36 optical modules (OMs) at 3 short strings, was put into operation and took data up to March 1995. A 72-OMs array, NT-72, run in 1995–1996. In 1996, it was replaced by the four-string array NT-96. Over its 700 days effective lifetime, 320,000,000 muon
Muon
The muon |mu]] used to represent it) is an elementary particle similar to the electron, with a unitary negative electric charge and a spin of ½. Together with the electron, the tau, and the three neutrinos, it is classified as a lepton...
events were collected with NT-36, NT-72, and NT-96. The lake Baikal Neutrino Telescope is unique among neutrino telescopes in that its location allows it to look out for a hypothetical particle known as a monopole
Magnetic monopole
A magnetic monopole is a hypothetical particle in particle physics that is a magnet with only one magnetic pole . In more technical terms, a magnetic monopole would have a net "magnetic charge". Modern interest in the concept stems from particle theories, notably the grand unified and superstring...
which is a candidate for dark matter
Dark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
. Due to its design, BDUNT picks up a lot of atmospheric neutrinos created by solar winds interacting with the atmosphere — as opposed to cosmic neutrinos which can give clues to cosmic events and are therefore of greater interest to physicists.
Beginning 6 April 1997, NT-144, a six-string array with 144 OMs, took data in Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
. NT-200 array was completed in April 1998. The Baikal Neutrino Telescope NT-200 is being deployed in Lake Baikal, 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) from shore at a depth of 1.1 kilometre (0.683510010314787 mi). It consists of 192 optical modules (OMs).