experiments at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

E537890

Experiments at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory were groundbreaking studies of solar neutrinos that provided key evidence for neutrino oscillations and the existence of neutrino mass.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf neutrino experiment series
particle physics experiment
solar neutrino experiment
carriedOutAt Sudbury Neutrino Observatory NERFINISHED
collaboratingCountry Canada NERFINISHED
United Kingdom NERFINISHED
United States NERFINISHED
collaborationSize about 100 scientists
constrainedParameter mass-squared difference Δm²21
solar neutrino mixing angle θ12
dataTakingStart 1999
dataUsedFor global fits of neutrino oscillation parameters
depthBelowSurface about 2 kilometers underground
depthInMetersWaterEquivalent about 6000 meters water equivalent
designFeature deep underground location to reduce cosmic-ray background
ultra-low background materials and shielding
detectedNeutrinoFlavor electron neutrinos
muon neutrinos
tau neutrinos
detectedNeutrinoSource solar neutrinos from the Sun
firstResultsPublished early 2000s
fundedBy Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada NERFINISHED
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (UK) NERFINISHED
United States Department of Energy NERFINISHED
impactOnAstrophysics confirmed standard solar model predictions for total neutrino flux
impactOnPhysics established that the Standard Model must be extended to include neutrino mass
keyResult demonstrated flavor transformation of solar neutrinos
measured electron neutrino flux lower than total active neutrino flux
measured total active solar neutrino flux consistent with solar model predictions
resolved the solar neutrino problem
locatedIn Creighton Mine, near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada NERFINISHED
measuredInteractionType charged-current interactions on deuterons
elastic scattering on electrons
neutral-current interactions on deuterons
operatedBy SNO Collaboration NERFINISHED
primaryGoal investigate neutrino oscillations
study solar neutrinos
test solar neutrino flux predictions
providedEvidenceFor neutrino oscillations
non-zero neutrino mass
recognizedBy 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics to Arthur B. McDonald NERFINISHED
relatedExperiment Homestake experiment NERFINISHED
Super-Kamiokande NERFINISHED
successorExperiment SNO+ NERFINISHED
supportedTheory Mikheyev–Smirnov–Wolfenstein (MSW) effect NERFINISHED
three-flavor neutrino oscillation framework
usedDetectorType heavy water Cherenkov detector
usedTargetMass about 1000 tonnes of heavy water
usedTargetMaterial heavy water (D2O)

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Arthur McDonald notableWork experiments at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory