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Neutrino Fog

Prelims Only | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Neutrino Fog

Why in the News?

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment revealed that as we continue to push the boundaries of dark matter detection, the issue of neutrino fog becomes increasingly significant.

What is the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment?

  • The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment is a cutting-edge dark matter detection project located deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, USA.
  • It is one of the most sensitive experiments in the world designed to detect dark matter particles, which are believed to make up about 85% of the matter in the universe but have not yet been directly observed.
  • The heart of the LZ experiment is a tank filled with 10 tonnes of liquid xenon, a very dense and pure material.
  • The idea is that if a dark matter particle collides with a xenon atom, it will produce a tiny burst of light and free electrons.
  • These interactions are then detected by sensitive equipment surrounding the xenon.
  • The experiment is located 1.5 km below the Earth’s surface.

What is Neutrino Fog?

  • Neutrinos, often referred to as “ghost particles,” are subatomic particles with nearly zero mass and no electric charge. 
  • “Neutrino Fog” refers to the interference caused by neutrinos—subatomic particles that rarely interact with matter—in dark matter detection experiments.
  • Neutrinos are produced naturally in the Sun’s core, supernovae, and even Earth’s atmosphere.
  • Though they pass through most matter undetected, their weak interactions can cause small disturbances in highly sensitive detectors.
  • As dark matter detectors become larger and more sensitive, they are more likely to detect neutrinos, leading to a “fog” of signals that can obscure or mimic potential dark matter interactions.

PYQ:

[2015] In the context of modern scientific research, consider the following statements about ‘IceCube’, a particle detector located at South Pole, which was recently in the news:

1. It is the world’s largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice.

2. It is a powerful telescope to search for dark matter

3. It is buried deep in the ice.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3 only

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