Daya Bay Nuclear Reactor Unveils First Layer From Nutrino Mystery

There are some basic questions in physics that are still unsolved. Some of them relate to the big-bang theory while some of them relate to the aftermath of the big explosion. Scientists and the human race on the whole are still unaware of the fact as to why the big bang occurred and why the matter visible to us appears to be in major quantity than the antimatter. Another question which may arise is that why there are two types of matter and not just one.

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The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment provides the first set of data by capturing faint flashes of light symbolizing antineutrino interactions in detectors filled with scintillator fluids. Image Credit: Berkeley Lab

The answer perhaps lies in the mixing of three types of neutrino particle namely, electrons, muon and tau and also on their mixing angles referred to as ?₁₃angle. The experiment conducted at the Daya bay nuclear reactor has calculated the mixing angle to a high degree of accuracy which was until now not possible. The data obtained from the Daya bay research provide scientists with a firm basis for this calculation and the accuracy which they have achieved in their attempt is more than 1%. The fact that they are trying to measure is amplitude with which these neutrinos oscillate due to this mixing angle ?_13. 

The detectors for this reason employed by China are given a lining of photomultiplier tubes and filled with liquid scientillator. The researchers also want that there should be no unnecessary noise because that may adversely affect the performance of detectors. Hence for protecting them they are shielded from external noise creating factors like cosmic rays. The same arrangement is provided by the eight detectors employed by the Chinese. They are located deep inside the mountains at Guangdong nuclear power plant group of Southern China. The detectors are capable of pinpointing minute and rare interactions of antineutrinos which are produced in amount nearing quadrillions per second by the Daya bay nuclear reactor.

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To achieve our one-percent goal, the differences in sensitivity among all eight detectors must be almost imperceptible, to within four-tenths of a percent of one another.

The three halls dedicated for the experiment are still not fully operational. Initially the data is collected from only the first hall. Researchers believe that when data will be collected from the third hall, accuracy will be less than 1%, nearing the aim of project. The present data being collected in only used to understand the similarities between the different neutrino particles. The scientists will however require time to achieve the accuracy which they are planning for. The current study being a joint exercise between U.S and China is a strategic partnership which is a collaboration of 40 different institutions providing technical expertise and monetary aid.