MicroBooNE Takes a Big Step Forward

On June 23rd, the MicroBooNE neutrino detector was lowered into position at the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The detector consists of a 32-foot long "time projection chamber" that is readout by 3 layers of wires. Once the detector is filled with 170 tons of liquid argon, a sophisticated computer processing program will be able to create a 3-D image of neutrinos interacting with the liquid argon. The MicroBooNE team, which includes CNP's Camillo Mariani and his research group, hopes the data can be used to learn more about how neutrinos change from one flavor to another, and to help narrow the search for a possible fourth neutrino flavor, known as the sterile neutrino. The Virginia Tech group is responsible for the online monitoring of the system to ensure safe operation, and a muon veto system, according to Prof. Mariani.

Read the full press release

The MicroBooNE time projection chamber is loaded into a tank which will be filled with 170 tons of liquid argon.

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