Mining for Neutrinos with the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Dr. Kara Keeter
Idaho State University
Department of Physics

One of the best places to study neutrinos is deep underground where the overburden of rock helps shield sensitive experiments from the flux of cosmic ray muons.  The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is located 6800 feet underground in INCO's Creighton Mine near Sudbury, ON Canada, and at this depth, the muon flux is reduced by a factor of 10^10 compared to surface.  In addition to shielding from muons, cleanliness of the lab environment itself is extremely important.  This location presents a unique environment to pursue fundamental physics that is both interesting and challenging.