Source: SCIENCENEWS

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Context

To detect high-energy neutrinos, scientists have deployed underwater telescopes like the Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT) in the Mediterranean Sea offering unique advantages over land-based and ice-bound observatories such as the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.

Read about ghost particles/Neutrinos: IAS GYAN

About Neutrinos

Neutrinos often called ghost particles are elusive subatomic particles that interact weakly with matter.

Neutrinos are fundamental subatomic particles similar to electrons but without any electric charge.

Second only to photons, neutrinos are incredibly abundant with approximately a billion passing through a cubic centimeter of space every second.

First detected in 1959, their existence was theorized as early as 1931.

Why Study High-Energy Neutrinos?

Origins of High-Energy Neutrinos

Generated by cosmic phenomena such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and colliding stars.

Rare but vital for understanding astrophysical events.

Applications

Neutrinos can penetrate dense dust clouds allowing the study of shrouded regions like the Milky Way's center.

Provide data on cosmic ray production mechanisms.

Offer potential insights into the elusive nature of dark matter.

High-energy neutrino detection could lead to groundbreaking discoveries beyond current scientific imagination.

Why Use Underwater Telescopes?

Detection Challenges

Neutrinos interact weakly making them extremely hard to detect.

Despite their abundance, interactions with matter are rare — only one neutrino interacts with a human body during a lifetime.

Detection Requirements

Large volumes of optically transparent material (e.g. water or ice).

Darkness to detect Cherenkov radiation, the faint light emitted when neutrinos interact with molecules.

Advantages

Water scatters light less than ice improving the precision of neutrino origin tracing.

The Mediterranean Sea provides vast volumes of clear, dark water for observation.

Challenges

Water absorbs light more than ice reducing the amount of Cherenkov radiation available for analysis.

Overcoming these challenges requires advanced technology and calibration.

Underwater Telescopes vs. IceCube

Sources:

IndianExpress