Why in the news?

  • China completed the construction of its Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) whereas the Indian project of building a Neutrino Observatory is still uncertain.

Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO)

  • What is it?:
    • The Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a proposed underground research facility to study atmospheric neutrinos.
    • It is one of India’s largest planned basic science projects, aimed at advancing particle physics and underground laboratory research.
  • Location: Proposed site is Bodi West Hills, Theni district, Tamil Nadu.
  • Collaborating Agencies: Coordinated by the INO Collaboration, comprising over 20 research institutes, with TIFR, IMSc, IITs etc. as major partners.
  • Scientific Objective:
    • Study atmospheric neutrinos using the Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector.
    • Determination of neutrino mass hierarchy.
    • Understanding the oscillation properties of neutrinos.
  • Significance:
    • Neutrinos are extremely low-interaction particles and they require deep underground labs.
    • Helps India contribute to frontline global particle physics (e.g., complementing IceCube, Super-Kamiokande).

Source: The Hindu