The Sanford Underground Research Facility is moving into the next phase of its neutrino research as international partners help advance the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, known as DUNE.
The project will study neutrinos sent underground from Illinois to detectors located nearly a mile below the surface in Lead, South Dakota. Construction crews have already excavated about 800,000 tons of rock, and facility infrastructure has been installed over the past two years. Installation of the DUNE experiment is now beginning, with scientific research expected to start in the early 2030s.
Scientists say tracking how neutrinos change during their 800-mile journey could help explain why the universe contains more matter than antimatter — a fundamental question about the origins of the universe.
DUNE includes collaboration with more than 200 institutions and about 1,500 scientists worldwide, including support from CERN, which is investing in a scientific project outside Europe for the first time.
To mark the milestone, scientists and community members signed the first neutrino beam component set to go underground at the Lead facility.
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