Searching for (No?) Neutrinos 2km Underground

Speaker: Dr Esther Turner from the National Oceanography Centre

Neutrinos are maybe the most mysterious of the elementary particles. Despite (probably) being the second most abundant particle in the Universe and the only particle so far to have demonstrated beyond-standard-model physics, we know very little about them. Are they their own anti-particle? What is their mass? How do they even have mass?

The quest to answer these questions can lead to unexpected places – like 2km down an active nickel mine in Northern Ontario, Canada.
Welcome to SNOLab, ‘the deepest cleanest lab in the world’. The experiments here seek to observe extremely rare (and sometimes currently
theoretical) particle interactions. One of these experiments is SNO+, a multi-purpose neutrino detector with the main aim of searching for a theorised radioactive decay which, if observed, would have enormous consequences for our understanding of neutrinos.

In addition to the physics, this talk will also be about what it's like to commute to work by ‘cage’, what training you need to be a scientist down a mine and how to survive very cold winters.

Venue information:
       * Wheelchair access
       * Free parking
       * Coffee and Tea from 19:00