Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Definition

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is a scientific facility located in Ontario, Canada, designed to detect neutrinos from the Sun. It uses heavy water to observe and measure solar neutrinos, providing critical data on the nuclear reactions occurring within the Sun's core.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. SNO was crucial in confirming that neutrinos change types or 'flavors' as they travel from the Sun to Earth.
2. The observatory is located 2 km underground to shield it from cosmic rays and other background radiation.
3. SNO's findings provided key evidence for the theory of neutrino oscillation, which helped solve the solar neutrino problem.
4. Heavy water (D2O) used in SNO allows it to detect both electron neutrinos and the total flux of all three neutrino flavors.
5. SNO's discoveries were significant enough to contribute to awarding the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015.

Review Questions

• What type of water does the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory use to detect solar neutrinos?
• How did SNO contribute to solving the solar neutrino problem?
• Why is SNO located deep underground?

Related terms

Neutrino: subatomic particle with a very small mass, often produced by nuclear reactions such as those in the Sun

Neutrino Oscillation: phenomenon where a neutrino changes its flavor or type as it travels through space

Solar Neutrino Problem: historical discrepancy between observed and predicted numbers of electron neutrinos coming from the Sun