Neutrino
Physics & Experiment
Neutrino physics has had an interesting history. In 1930
Pauli postulated the existence of the (electron) neutrino, in
1956 this was confirmed by Reines and Cowan using a nuclear
reactor source of antineutrinos. In 1962, a second distinct
(muon) neutrino was shown to exist in the experiment at BNL.
For that discovery Nobel Prize was awarded to Lederman,
Schwartz and Steinberger. In 1995, the third, (tau) neutrino
was detected at FNAL. In parallel to those discoveries, Ray
Davis' studies of solar neutrinos confirmed understanding of
stellar dynamics modulo a 2/3 flux deficit that later was
recognized as a result of neutrino oscillations among the
three flavors of neutrinos. properties of those oscillations
were further unveiled with followup solar, atmospheric,
reactor and accelerator neutrino studies . The discovery of
oscillations, detection of 19 neutrino events from supernova
1987a by the old IMB and Kamiokande water cerenkov detectors
confirmed the theory of supernova explosions and raised new
interesting questions about the details of neutrino
involvement. The WMAP experiment has started to see imprints
of neutrino mass effects on the cosmic microwave background
radiation left from the Big Bang.
Introduction
An intense neutrino facility allows probing of the
neutrino mixing angles, mass hierarchy, and leptonic CP
violation. Physics potential, for making precision
measurements of all neutrino oscillation parameters. using a
wide band nu_µ beam from BNL , to a (very long baseline) 2540
km baseline (with 0.5 megaton) detector at Homestake Mine in
South Dakota was our first study. Potentials of intense
neutrino beams from BNL (later from FNAL) to Long Baseline
Detectors at Homestake (SD), later Henderson (Co) and
Cascades (WA) were studied. Large Detectors located in a low
background underground environment(s) would provide
additional physics capabilities for proton decay and
continuous observation of natural sources of neutrinos such
as supernova or other astrophysical sources of neutrinos. The
Map shows 3 DUSEL possible underground Detector Sites:
HOMESTAKE, HENDERSON, and CASCADES. At present HOMESTAKE is
the selected DUSEL Site, and the Detector R & D is
underway.
Zohreh Parsa
parsa@bnl.gov
www.neutrino.bnl.gov
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BNL, FNAL and 3 DUSEL Sites are shown
below |
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Super Kamiokande, a Water Cerenkov
Detector

Ribon Cutting with Dr. Al
Mann

HOMESTAKE, Sanford Underground Laboratory

Drs. Z. Parsa, W. Marciano & W. Wilson in Henderson
a
DUSEL possible UNDERGROUND Lab site in Colorodo.
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