SNO and the New SNOLAB Underground Facility

The Department of Physics and Astronomy Colloquium: Prof. Art McDonald, Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, Director, SNO Institute,Physics Department Queen's University to speak on "SNO and the New SNOLAB Underground Facility."

Abstract:
The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) has now completed neutrino detection with 1,000 tonnes of heavy water situated 2,000 meters underground in INCO’s Creighton Mine near Sudbury, Ontario. Data analysis is in progress for the final phase of operation with an array of neutron detectors to observe the Neutral Current reaction of solar neutrinos on deuterium. These measurements will define the flux of all neutrino types from the Sun. Comparing this with the flux of electron neutrinos from another reaction on deuterium in the heavy water will determine parameters for neutrino flavor change with improved accuracy. The underground facility is now being expanded to create a long-term international facility for underground science (SNOLAB), where measurements of Dark Matter, Double Beta Decay and Solar Neutrinos will be performed with the lowest radioactive background available anywhere. The final operational phase of SNO, the future plans for the SNO detector and the plans for other experiments at SNOLAB when it is completed in 2008 will be described.

Ticket Information
Free

Event Sponsor
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Manoa

More Information
Dr. John G. Learned, 956-2964, jgl@phys.hawaii.edu

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