Hot Review | In the future, people will definitely remember our hard work experiments at a depth of 700 meters underground | Universe | Effort
If it weren't for what we saw with our own eyes in the camera, who would have thought that 700 meters underground, someone was exploring the secrets of the depths of the universe?
This is the Jiangmen Neutrino Laboratory, which studies the mysterious neutrinos in the universe. Neutrinos are one of the fundamental particles we know, with extremely small masses and speeds close to the speed of light. They rarely interact with other particles and have extremely strong penetrating power. Due to the characteristics of neutrinos, studying their properties is of great significance for us to understand the evolution of the universe, the evolution of stars, and other laws; Because of this, the neutrino experimental setup was chosen to be built deep underground, using thick rock layers to block cosmic rays and minimize interference from external signals.
Being able to build such an underground experimental device is itself a miracle. The location of the Jiangmen neutrino experimental device is made of granite, and it is extremely difficult to dig 700 meters vertically underground here. It is also necessary to build a 1300 meter long sloping tunnel to reach the underground, and the difficulty can be imagined; At a depth of 700 meters, a spherical stainless steel mesh shell with a diameter of 41 meters was assembled, which is the largest single stainless steel structure in China. It is fixed with 120000 sets of high-strength bolts, and the deviation should be controlled within a very small range; The interior of the stainless steel mesh shell is the core structure of the detector, and the 35.4-meter-diameter organic glass ball is composed of 263 organic glass plates spliced together. Before the detector operates, 20000 tons of highly pure liquid scintillator will be injected into the large ball, with no more than 8 milligrams of impurities mixed in; The detector is also equipped with 45000 photomultiplier tubes, which convert the weak light signals generated by the captured neutrinos into electrical signals and amplify them by 10 million times.
Behind all of this is China's progress in basic science and related technological fields. The construction of a 700 meter underground civil engineering project, the manufacturing and installation of large stainless steel structures and ultra large organic glass balls, the preparation of high transparency and extremely low radioactivity background liquid scintillators, and the localization of high-performance photomultiplier tubes require strong comprehensive national strength. Until now, the world's large-scale neutrino experimental facilities only have single digits, and once completed, the Jiangmen neutrino experimental facility will be a leader in neutrino research.
Once launched, this will study the mysterious particles in the universe, generate experimental results, or change human understanding of the universe. The staff are engaged in seemingly dull but extremely romantic work - standing 700 meters underground, gazing up at the vast starry sky. Large scientific installations are powerful tools for promoting technological innovation and breaking through key core technologies. At present, China has laid out and constructed major scientific and technological infrastructure in 77 countries, of which 34 have been completed and put into operation, and some facilities have entered the forefront of the world.
Basic research ultimately needs to serve applications. Although neutrinos are small and highly penetrating, they have an extremely imaginative use in aerospace communication, and even interstellar communication. Perhaps in the future, astronauts will break out of the solar system and receive clear signals from home, billions of kilometers away from Earth. I believe people at that time will remember the efforts we made today at a depth of 700 meters underground.
