Nestor Project
Encyclopedia
The NESTOR Project is an international scientific collaboration whose target is the deployment of a neutrino telescope on the sea floor off Pylos, Greece.
. Neutrinos (or anti-neutrinos) are created during certain nuclear reactions, where proton
s are transformed into neutron
s and vice versa. Neutrinos do not interact with matter via either the electromagnetic, the strong nuclear, or gravitational forces, since they are electrically neutral leptons and their rest mass is very small. They interact with the nucleon
s (neutrons and protons) only via weak nuclear interactions. Since they do not interact with matter via the electromagnetic or gravitational forces, it is extremely difficult to detect them. Since their mass is very small (less than 14eV) they travel with speeds that are very close to the speed of light in vacuum
.
tubes.
The "eyes" are connected with star shaped titanium
frames. Many frames compose a NESTOR tower. The whole construction is placed at the bottom of the sea to reduce noise from cosmic radiation (depth 4000m).
The detectors are connected with the terminal station through a 31 km long deep sea, optic fiber cable for data collection.
Pylos was selected for the installation of the telescope for several reasons. It combines deep water with close proximity to the shore, a convenient combination for the installation of the NESTOR towers and the communication
and power supply cables. It is also located in an anti-diametric point with respect to the
DUMAND
neutrino telescope in the Pacific ocean and therefore, it is possible to compare
observations and study correlations between the observed neutrino.
Neutrino
Neutrinos are elementary particles first detected in the 1950s, long after their theoretical prediction by theorist Wolfgang PauliWolfgang Pauli
Wolfgang Ernst Pauli was an Austrian theoretical physicist and one of the pioneers of quantum physics. In 1945, after being nominated by Albert Einstein, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his "decisive contribution through his discovery of a new law of Nature, the exclusion principle or...
. Neutrinos (or anti-neutrinos) are created during certain nuclear reactions, where proton
Proton
The proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....
s are transformed into neutron
Neutron
The neutron is a subatomic hadron particle which has the symbol or , no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton. With the exception of hydrogen, nuclei of atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which are therefore collectively referred to as nucleons. The number of...
s and vice versa. Neutrinos do not interact with matter via either the electromagnetic, the strong nuclear, or gravitational forces, since they are electrically neutral leptons and their rest mass is very small. They interact with the nucleon
Nucleon
In physics, a nucleon is a collective name for two particles: the neutron and the proton. These are the two constituents of the atomic nucleus. Until the 1960s, the nucleons were thought to be elementary particles...
s (neutrons and protons) only via weak nuclear interactions. Since they do not interact with matter via the electromagnetic or gravitational forces, it is extremely difficult to detect them. Since their mass is very small (less than 14eV) they travel with speeds that are very close to the speed of light in vacuum
Vacuum
In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
.
NESTOR Telescope
Because neutrinos are very weakly interacting, neutrino detectors must be very large in order to detect a significant number of neutrinos. After completion, NESTOR will consist of a large number of glass balls (the "eyes") containing photomultiplierPhotomultiplier
Photomultiplier tubes , members of the class of vacuum tubes, and more specifically phototubes, are extremely sensitive detectors of light in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum...
tubes.
The "eyes" are connected with star shaped titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
frames. Many frames compose a NESTOR tower. The whole construction is placed at the bottom of the sea to reduce noise from cosmic radiation (depth 4000m).
The detectors are connected with the terminal station through a 31 km long deep sea, optic fiber cable for data collection.
Pylos was selected for the installation of the telescope for several reasons. It combines deep water with close proximity to the shore, a convenient combination for the installation of the NESTOR towers and the communication
and power supply cables. It is also located in an anti-diametric point with respect to the
DUMAND
Project DUMAND
The DUMAND Project was a proposed underwater neutrino telescope to be built in the Pacific Ocean, off the shore of the island of Hawaii, five kilometers beneath the surface...
neutrino telescope in the Pacific ocean and therefore, it is possible to compare
observations and study correlations between the observed neutrino.