Cavern excavation completed for Fermilab-based neutrino experiment
Workers have finished excavating the caverns in South Dakota that will house four particle detectors for the Fermilab-based Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.
The three caverns, located a mile below the surface, are the core of a new research facility that spans an underground area about the size of eight soccer fields. Two caverns will house the detectors; the third will house utilities.
Neutrinos will be sent from Fermilab in Batavia 800 miles west to liquid argon-filled detectors at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The goal is to have the first detector operating by the end of 2028.
Scientists will study the behavior of neutrinos to answer questions such as why the universe is composed of matter and how an exploding star creates a black hole.