JUNO project manager Wang Yifang told AFP during a tour of the facility earlier this month that for them, only first place is valuable, and second place is not a significant achievement.
Experts determined years ago that neutrinos fall into one of three mass states; But their weight from the heaviest to the lightest is still unclear. If researchers can figure these out, the new information will help build a more complete Standard Model of particle physics and expand our knowledge of the inner workings of planets, stars and supernovae.
JUNO’s possible findings on the mass hierarchy may even force physicists to reconsider established scientific facts, especially those related to quantum mechanics.
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The researchers plan to focus the detector on neutrinos emitted from two nuclear power plants located about 53 kilometers on either side of the underground facility. But solving the mystery of the mass hierarchy is not as simple as measuring their very small weights. Experts believe that about six years of testing and analysis are needed to reach the final answers about the mass hierarchy problem.
During this time, separate and similar projects are expected to begin at other facilities, such as the US Ice Cube Observatory in Antarctica and Japan’s Kamyokande Super Laboratory.
While China seems to be ahead of its competitors in this field, the unexpected complexities of physics research mean that anyone can be the discoverer of the mystery of the mass hierarchy; provided he has extensive knowledge of some of the world’s most complex sciences. In the meantime, access to a large and shining sphere of stainless steel underground will probably be effective in achieving this goal.
