研究路线图

在未来二十年,研究组将把探寻中微子质量本源作为首要目标。在三至五年里,研究组将从下一代大型液体中微子探测器的事例重建与粒子鉴别入手,力争把液体量能器通过现代统计学习方法转化为液体成像器。在这一征程中,还会有太阳中微子、地球中微子、核子衰变与暗物质的相关应用。

Underground Physics: Neutrino, Proton Decay and Dark Matter.

Human beings has pushed the frontiers of physics into the rare events. The leading order effect being weak interactions mediated by W and Z bosons, experiments have to be located deep underground to shield against cosmic rays.

For these weak phenomena, the typical targets of the most physical and astronomical interest are neutrinos, nucleon decay and dark matter.

Neutrino

Neutrino is part of the standard model of paricle physics. It is a neutral particle with tiny mass not even known as of 2020. Neutrino could only interact with matter by weak interaction and gravitation. Because of this, neutrino is very penetrative. The mean free path of a neutrino from the Sun in lead is more than 1 light year! That is why neutrino is known to the general public as the nickname "ghost particle".

To detect the elusive neutrinos, a gigantic and clean detector is needed. Otherwise unreachable places might be able to be explored by neutrinos, such as terrestrial neutrinos from the Earth interior, solar neutrinos from the core of the Sun, supernovae neutrinos from core collapsing.

Proton decay

Free proton is regarded to be stable in the standard model. Grand unified theory(GUT) unifies strong, electromagnetic and weak interactions. GUT usually predicts free protons decaying in to mesons.

This phenomena has yet to be observed and is one of the biggest mysteries in modern physics.

Dark Matter

Dark matter manifested itself by gravitation effects, most notably rotational curves of galaxy clusters, gravitational lensing and anisotropic patterns of cosmic microave background.

The nature of dark matter is still unknown, there is no known particle that could satisfy all the observational constraints. Dark matter is speculated to be composed of new particles beyond the standard model.