Scientists from China have begun construction of a giant neutrino telescope in the South China Sea. This project, called "Trident" or "Hailing" in Chinese, is designed to help solve the mystery of the origin of cosmic rays and explore the extreme limits of the universe.
Upon completion in 2030, Trident will become the largest and most advanced in the world, the project team claims. The telescope will be fixed on the seabed at a depth of 3.5 km in the western Pacific Ocean. Its task is to scan the surrounding seawater in search of flashes of light that occur when cosmic neutrinos collide with water molecules.
Work on the pilot phase of the project began in the South China Sea. It is planned that the first small installation will be completed by 2026.
"Using the Earth as a shield, the Trident will detect neutrinos penetrating from the opposite side of the planet," said Shu Donglian of Shanghai Jiaotong University, chief scientist of the project.
The telescope will also help to check the symmetries of space and time, to look for quantum gravity and, indirectly, dark matter.
Cosmic rays are constantly bombarding the Earth's atmosphere. But even more than a hundred years after their discovery, scientists are still not sure of their origin. However, cosmic rays also contain neutrinos - evasive subatomic particles that can serve as a powerful tool for revealing the origin of the cosmic, says SecurityLab.ru .
According to the Chinese team, the Trident will be much more sensitive than existing neutrino telescopes. It will have up to 10,000 times more capabilities than the IceCube Observatory at the South Pole.
The Trident, which will operate for 20 years, consists of 1,200 vertical strings of sensors placed on the seabed.
The pilot phase of the project is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, the Government of Shanghai and Shanghai Jiaotong University.
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