Particle experiments at Kolar Gold Fields

Coordinates: 12°56′25.6″N 78°15′34″E / 12.940444°N 78.25944°E / 12.940444; 78.25944
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

mine shaft
at KGF

The

gold mines known for the neutrino particle experiments and unusual observations that took place there starting in 1960.[1] The experiments ended with the closing of the mine in 1992.[2]

Initial experiments

The initial experiments that took place in KGF were related to the study of

TIFR. During 1984, Naba Kumar Mondal, TIFR, and Prof. Ito, Osaka City University, Japan, performed experimental studies on proton decay
and indirectly observed the scatter of muons. Murali and Balasubramaniam briefly assisted Mondal and Ito as research assistants.

Neutrino find

Neutrino-related experiments were started in KGF in 1964. The main goal was the detection of atmospheric neutrinos, with an understanding that cosmic rays colliding with atmospheric nuclei produce high energy

Champion Reefs mines. The experiment, using an iron calorimeter, discovered the first atmospheric neutrinos about the same time (in 1965) as a similar discovery took place in the East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM experiment) in South Africa.[4]
The South African experiment begun in 1965, took place 3200 meters underground and was managed by groups from
Case Institute of Technology, University of California, Irvine and University of the Witwatersrand. The effort was led by Frederick Reines
and the liquid scintillator detector used was called the Case-Witwatersrand-Irvine or CWI detector.

Although the KGF group detected neutrino candidates two months later than Reines CWI, they were given formal priority for first discovery of atmospheric neutrinos due to publishing their findings two weeks earlier.[5]

Kolar events

Some experimental observations, called Kolar events, have yet to be explained. They suggest the existence of massive (>3 GeV) particles having a long life (10−9 secs). These massive particles are also seen to decay into 2–3 particles.[6] It has been postulated that they could be the result of neutrino interactions or dark matter decay.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ H. Adarkar; et al. (2000). "Experimental Evidence for G.U.T Proton decay".
    arXiv:hep-ex/0008074
    .
  2. ^ N. K. Mondal (2004). "Status of India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO)" (PDF).
    Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy
    . 70 (1): 71–77.
  3. ^ a b c V. S. Narasimhan (2004). "Perspective of Experimental Neutrino Physics in India" (PDF).
    Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy
    . 70 (1): 11–25.
  4. ^ T. K. Gaisser (2005). "Atmospheric Neutrino Fluxes".
    S2CID 119512931
    .
  5. ^ Spiering, C. (2012). "Towards High-Energy Neutrino Astronomy".
    S2CID 115134648
    .
  6. ^ S. L. Glashow; H. van Dam; P. H. Frampton (1982). Third Workshop on Grand Unification, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
    ISBN 978-3-7643-3105-4
    .
  7. ^ M. V. N. Murthy; G. Rajasekaran (2014). "Anomalous Kolar events revisited: Dark Matter?".
    S2CID 118585552
    .

External links

12°56′25.6″N 78°15′34″E / 12.940444°N 78.25944°E / 12.940444; 78.25944

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