Latest news with #InstituteofHighEnergyPhysics
South China Morning Post
31-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
A trillion times brighter than the sun: Beijing builds most powerful X-ray light source
About 50km (30 miles) north of Beijing's city centre, construction is wrapping up on what is expected to be the world's brightest X-ray light source, slated to switch on later this year to power research in fields ranging from materials science to biomedicine and physics Advertisement The High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) will generate beams that are a trillion times brighter in terms of photon density than the surface of the sun , thanks to their extreme focus and precision. It is set to surpass similar facilities in Europe, Asia and the United States, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of High Energy Physics, the facility's lead developer. 'Once HEPS reaches its designed brightness, it will be capable of revealing the microscopic world in unprecedented detail,' Pan Weimin, project director at the institute, told China Science Daily on Thursday. 'It offers a powerful tool to manipulate matter and observe its entire life cycle.' The facility had begun light commissioning, marking the start of integrated system testing with real photon beams – a phase crucial for fine-tuning the machine before trial operations begin, Pan said. Since the 1970s, more than 70 light sources have been built around the world to help scientists see deep inside matter – from decoding virus structures to developing advanced aerospace materials, batteries and semiconductors. Advertisement These massive facilities work by accelerating electrons to near the speed of light and steering them with powerful magnets. As the electrons change direction, they emit high-energy light particles, which researchers use to probe the atomic and molecular structure of materials.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China deploys prototype detectors to locate neutrinos in South China Sea
Chinese scientists have deployed prototype detectors in the South China Sea to explore building a large underwater observatory to detect neutrinos, tiny particles from space. Last month, equipment including sensitive detector units and an LED light source for calibration was deployed at a depth of 1,600 meters (5,250 feet) using the submersible Shenhai Yongshi, or Deep-Sea Warrior, according to the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) in Beijing. The detectors, now linked to China's national underwater scientific observation network for power and data transmission, are positioned in the darkness to detect faint flashes of light caused by passing neutrinos, according to the institute's statement on Wednesday via WeChat, the South China Morning Post reported. All of this is part of a bid to construct the High-energy Underwater Neutrino Telescope (HUNT), which aims to become the world's largest underwater neutrino observatory. The project will feature over 55,000 detectors suspended along thousands of strings, covering 30 cubic kilometers (7.2 cubic miles) of ocean. The stable operation of the prototype detectors is a meaningful milestone in the preliminary research for the HUNT project, according to the institute. When completed, the project is expected to place China among the leaders in neutrino astronomy, SCMP adds. IHEP researcher Chen Mingjun explained that in addition to its astronomical significance, HUNT is expected to offer a valuable research platform for marine science. Due to the nature of cosmic rays, which are composed of highly energetic particles, their direction of motion is constantly deflected by interstellar magnetic fields, making it difficult to observe their origin directly. According to Chen, observing high-energy neutrinos, which can travel vast distances without being affected by magnetic fields or matter, provides an effective way to uncover the processes and sources behind these highly energetic particles. He also added that this approach could significantly advance humanity's understanding of the cosmic phenomena. Due to limitations in detection technology and financial resources, current international experiments, developed over decades, are constrained in their ability to detect high-energy neutrino sources. The effective volume of their detectors ranges from 1 to 8 cubic kilometers, which may not be sufficient for identifying sources, particularly those from galaxies. The detectors were now deployed with help from China's first deep-sea research vessel, Tansuo 3, and the Shenhai Yongshi, a 4,500-meter-class manned submersible owned by the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. The detector prototypes were developed in collaboration between the Ocean University of China, IHEP, and the Institute of Acoustics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Furthermore, the deployed detectors have also been successfully linked to the South China Sea Seabed Scientific Observation Network, another key national scientific project led by the Institute of Acoustics. IHEP also highlighted the South China Sea as the only viable location in China for the telescope because of its vast expanse. However, the South China Sea is not the only potential site for HUNT. Last spring, researchers deployed prototype detectors at a depth of 1,300 meters in Siberia's Lake Baikal, where they conducted on-site testing with Russian scientists working on the Baikal-GVD neutrino experiment.
South China Morning Post
08-02-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China adds ‘ghost particle' detector to South China Sea observation network
Published: 4:00pm, 8 Feb 2025 Prototype detectors have been sent deep into the South China Sea by Chinese scientists to test the possibility of building a massive underwater observatory that would be used to search for neutrinos – tiny, elusive subatomic particles from deep space. If it all goes as planned, it could take scientists a step closer to uncovering the mysterious origin of cosmic rays. Equipment, including self-developed, highly sensitive detector units and an LED light source for calibration, was placed at a depth of precisely 1,600 metres (5,250 feet) last month with the help of the submersible Shenhai Yongshi, or Deep-Sea Warrior, according to the Institute of High Energy Physics in Beijing, which is leading the project. Now connected to China's national underwater scientific observation network for power and data transmission, the detectors were waiting in the darkness to capture faint flashes of light when neutrinos pass through, the institute said on Wednesday via WeChat. It is all part of a bid to build the High-energy Underwater Neutrino Telescope (HUNT), which would be the world's largest underwater neutrino observatory with more than 55,000 detectors suspended along thousands of strings, covering 30 cubic km (7.2 cubic miles) of ocean. 'The stable operation of the prototype detectors marks a significant step forward in our preliminary research for the HUNT project,' the institute said. 'Once complete, it will position China at the forefront of neutrino astronomy.' The South China Sea is not the only candidate site for HUNT. Last spring, researchers deployed prototype detectors at a depth of 1,300m in Siberia's Lake Baikal , and conducted on-site testing with Russian scientists involved in the Baikal-GVD neutrino experiment, according to the institute.
