India's Neutrino Observatory Project Gets The Nod From Government And Rs. 1500 Crore Investment
When describing Neutrinos Frederick Reines, an American physicist famously said, "They are the most tiny quantity of reality ever imagined by a human being." The subatomic particles created from the radioactive elements' decay that lack electric charge, are now going to be under the observation of Indian scientists as a part of a huge INR 1500 Crore project called 'India-based Neutrino Observatory' or INO. The good news is that the Government of India has finally approved it and the project is being worked upon at the Pottipuram village in Tamil Nadu. A research team will study atmospheric neutrinos in a 4,300 feet deep cave and they are supposed to come up the precise measurement of neutrino mixing parameters. What's interesting is the fact that the INO project is one of India's biggest experimental particle physics projects undertaken ever. One might be reminded of the high-end 'Kolar Gold Field project' that was closed down. This is a far bigger project than that.
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai is the host institute for INO and the Government of India will be tying up with Department of Atomic Energy and Science and Technology for providing the funds for this project. The Neutrino detector has been already placed underground and once completed, the Indian Neutrino Observatory will be the house for the World's most massive magnet which will be 4X the size of the 12,500 tonne magnet present at the Compact Muon Solenoid detector at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
INO Scientists building particle detector.
Apart from the INO project, Indian Government has also sanctioned the construction of a 50 kton magnetised Iron Calorimeter detector (ICAL) to study the properties of neutrinos and specifically address the issue of neutrino mass hierarchy. Apart from the ICAL detector, the INO lab will host many other interesting experiments such as the neutrino-less double beta decay experiment and a proposed experiment that will look for the evidence of Dark Matter. Yep.
Fact File on Neutrinos -
1. They come from a family of elementary particles called leptons.
2. After photons, they are the most abundant particle in the universe.
3. They are charge-less and are almost mass-less (theories exist to disprove this) & are produced inside the Sun's core as well as that of other stars. On Earth, they are produced inside the nuclear reactors.
4. If neutrinos are found to have mass, that knowledge would significantly affect our understanding of Particle Physics, Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics and Cosmology.
5. Most questions about Neutrinos are still left answered.
Lastly, it has come to the news that folks behind the INO project are all geared up after the approval and have started International scientists to take part in the high-end research project, while they continue working as a part of the LHC or Large Hadron Collider project. We believe that this is a great news for Indian engineers looking to work on mass-scale physics project while residing in India. What do you think? Share with us in comments below.
Source: INO:India-based Neutrino Observatory | #-Link-Snipped-#
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai is the host institute for INO and the Government of India will be tying up with Department of Atomic Energy and Science and Technology for providing the funds for this project. The Neutrino detector has been already placed underground and once completed, the Indian Neutrino Observatory will be the house for the World's most massive magnet which will be 4X the size of the 12,500 tonne magnet present at the Compact Muon Solenoid detector at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
INO Scientists building particle detector.
Apart from the INO project, Indian Government has also sanctioned the construction of a 50 kton magnetised Iron Calorimeter detector (ICAL) to study the properties of neutrinos and specifically address the issue of neutrino mass hierarchy. Apart from the ICAL detector, the INO lab will host many other interesting experiments such as the neutrino-less double beta decay experiment and a proposed experiment that will look for the evidence of Dark Matter. Yep.
Fact File on Neutrinos -
1. They come from a family of elementary particles called leptons.
2. After photons, they are the most abundant particle in the universe.
3. They are charge-less and are almost mass-less (theories exist to disprove this) & are produced inside the Sun's core as well as that of other stars. On Earth, they are produced inside the nuclear reactors.
4. If neutrinos are found to have mass, that knowledge would significantly affect our understanding of Particle Physics, Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics and Cosmology.
5. Most questions about Neutrinos are still left answered.
Lastly, it has come to the news that folks behind the INO project are all geared up after the approval and have started International scientists to take part in the high-end research project, while they continue working as a part of the LHC or Large Hadron Collider project. We believe that this is a great news for Indian engineers looking to work on mass-scale physics project while residing in India. What do you think? Share with us in comments below.
Source: INO:India-based Neutrino Observatory | #-Link-Snipped-#
Replies
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Ankita KatdareWould love to hear the views of #-Link-Snipped-# on this. -
Ramani AswathI am thrilled. Going to be a great effort.
Prof.M.G.K.Menon, the first chief of DST under whom I worked, was associated with the 'Kolar Gold Field project'.
Were he alive now, he would have been neck deep in this too.
INO will be recruiting many EEs and physics people. There will be opportunities for short projects and internships also.
Personally it would be exciting for me to visit this facility. I will be tracking it. I am sure that some scientist friends would be involved.
All in all, it will be a great opportunity for India to get out of the silly show at the recent science congress meet extolling how Indians excelled in aerospace activities and modern surgical procedures in the Vedic times and do some real cutting edge research. -
Ankita KatdareFeels amazing to read that. I am sure electrical engineers & physics students are taking note. I would keep a track of the official website and post internship & full-time job opportunities as and when they appear.
The project is definitely applause-worthy.
While reading about the latest news on INO, I came across an article which mentions that MDMK general secretary, Mr. Vaiko slammed the Centre for approving INO stating that under the guise of development, establishing a lab would mean destruction of natural resources.
I hope the INO scientists have sent him the requisite material on the project that clears all his apprehensions about it. -
G SrinivasanThe mass of the neutrino is 9.3E minus 35 kgs. Its potential is 52.3 volts. It is a stress wave in an interaction that is occurring at C = 2.965E +8 cycles / sec at a meter wavelendth. When 7 Neutrinos are accelerated to C + 172220 frequency the first photon is launched and as that rate of acceleration is increased higher frequency photons emerge. See all this in an extraordinary Vedic axiomatic theory called Sankhya by Kapillamuni created 33000 years ago on website www kapillavastu dot com
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Bhargav P AThat's a great news. This experiment will open new doors for some unanswered questions on neutrinos. The ultimate goal is to isolate one Neutrino particle and then controlling them. But that's a long way to go. Kudos INO. And I recently saw one article and found its interesting.
Neutrino researchers admit Einstein was right | Particle physics | The Guardian -
Shashank MogheFirst off, this is the single most biggest news I heard in a long time! Kudos to Indian Govt for approving this project. Also, thank you for sharing this news! It feels so great and I feel so proud that INO is going to catapult India to the levels of research undertaken at the LHC! Keep sharing, keep up the good work!
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Ramani AswathI had a discussion with a couple of professors of Physics, theoretical not particle physics, whose colleagues are involved with this INO project. I am not a physicist and so cannot comment much.
Their opinion is that this had been mooted more than a decade back at which time the INR 500 crores was not coming through.In the meantime others were forging ahead elsewhere in the world. Now even though INR1500 crores has been approved India may be in a 'Me too' situation.
They agreed that it will create employment locally at Theni district for many lower level jobs and some jobs for physicists, electrical/electronics professionals. However, breakthrough research may not be forthcoming. -
Shashank MogheWell, Neutrino detection and characterization is still a niche field, at the frontier of particle physics research. If not a pioneer, we are still going to join an elite league. The mere brain power INO shall attract from over the earth is enough to provide the much needed push to Physics/physicists and original research in general, in India.
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Ramani AswathQuote:The mere brain power INO shall attract from over the earth is enough to provide the much needed push to Physics/physicists and original research in general, in India.
Endquote
Fingers crossed. We are yet a long way from setting up the facility. Years before some real output comes. -
Iyyappan TOther than giving jobs to few hundred engineers and indirect jobs to common men, may I know what kind of positive and or financial impact this project can give to the society or to any industry in india as a whole?
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Shashank Moghe
Well, this project, when functional, will involve exchange of the brightest minds in science to (and from) India. This means a multifold increase in Indian scientists' involvement in the progress of science, on the foremost frontiers of research. This will catapult India to the elite league of original research. Imagine, what a boost this will be for the science education in India. Students who take B.Sc only because they aren't able to secure an engineering or Medical seat will take up pure science by CHOICE! The interest in pure sciences has been dwindling in India for the last few decades, it will rejuvenate that! Imagine the revolution it will bring by motivating and enlightening young minds! Sure, no immediate impact will be visible from the INO, but looking a decade or two down the line, I see a radical and positive change in the education system, the opportunities for and the outlook of the country's youth towards pure science.Iyyappan TOther than giving jobs to few hundred engineers and indirect jobs to common men, may I know what kind of positive and or financial impact this project can give to the society or to any industry in india as a whole? -
Iyyappan T
Thanks for d reply Shashank, it's good to be optimistic about the growth of pure science and research in india, just thinking how much it could help the society. if they could spend the amount to improve our educational systems and infrastructure, we can achieve the objective that you wish. i hope we are in need of Edison like research and inventions that could develop products to improve/enhance the life of people, create new industries and generate revenue at the same; however this project looks like a Einstein grade research which is generally not connected to anything that could improve the life of us or revenue. I feel still our basement of education and fostering innovation is not strong enough, that needs more attention than we simply doing something just to be part of a elite group of countries and show off. spending this much big amount for a country like us is good, only if they are sure it's going to give good return on this investment in the near future.Shashank MogheWell, this project, when functional, will involve exchange of the brightest minds in science to (and from) India. This means a multifold increase in Indian scientists' involvement in the progress of science, on the foremost frontiers of research. This will catapult India to the elite league of original research. Imagine, what a boost this will be for the science education in India. Students who take B.Sc only because they aren't able to secure an engineering or Medical seat will take up pure science by CHOICE! The interest in pure sciences has been dwindling in India for the last few decades, it will rejuvenate that! Imagine the revolution it will bring by motivating and enlightening young minds! Sure, no immediate impact will be visible from the INO, but looking a decade or two down the line, I see a radical and positive change in the education system, the opportunities for and the outlook of the country's youth towards pure science. -
Shashank Moghe
You can spend 1500 Cr on infrastructure, and build what, one highway? This development will build generations of knowledge, generations for knowledge. Edison, Einstein, we cannot categorize research that way. What Edison did was important. But what Einstein did is invaluable. It is still getting understood. Einstein's work spawned generations of scientists, several branches of science. He inspired. I am not sure I can explain the difference.Iyyappan TThanks for d reply Shashank, it's good to be optimistic about the growth of pure science and research in india, just thinking how much it could help the society. if they could spend the amount to improve our educational systems and infrastructure, we can achieve the objective that you wish. i hope we are in need of Edison like research and inventions that could develop products to improve/enhance the life of people, create new industries and generate revenue at the same; however this project looks like a Einstein grade research which is generally not connected to anything that could improve the life of us or revenue. I feel still our basement of education and fostering innovation is not strong enough, that needs more attention than we simply doing something just to be part of a elite group of countries and show off. spending this much big amount for a country like us is good, only if they are sure it's going to give good return on this investment in the near future.
But rest assured, this is an investment in the education sector in India, it will enhance the life of people, it will foster innovation. We will look back at this the way we look back at ISRO, the way we look at IISc, IITs, IIMs today.
You are reading an archived discussion.
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