Chennai: With the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project facing yet another setback in the form of cancellation of environmental clearance, scientists associated with the project hinted that they would consider relocating the project to the alternative location.
After getting final approval from the central government in 2015, the Rs 1,500 crore project was stalled due to the pending Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board approval.
“I am yet to go through the order of the National Green Tribunal. From our side, we wanted the project in Tamil Nadu. But we cannot stay idle for longer. We have to find a way to start the project or otherwise we have to find an alternative site,” said Dr Prafulla Kumar Behera, Associate Professor, IIT Madras. He is actively associated with the INO project.
“Getting delayed doesn’t solve the purpose of science. Other countries like China are moving ahead even though they started later than us. But, we are hoping to get the clearance for the project,” he said.
Before choosing an alternative site the scientists may need to slightly change their strategy in developing the detector. “We have to change our strategy a little bit as we cannot get the same type of site. There will be some kind of reorientation depending on the site. Here we are getting one km depth of rock coverage. Finding similar rock coverage will not be easy,” he said.
“There are places where we may not get the same coverage of rock but we can still change the way we are doing this research and detector development,” he said.
Considering the timeline and competitiveness of the project, changing the site might be one feasible option available to them. “We have started the project when we got the final approval from PMO when PM Narendra Modi gave a go ahead and allocated fund for the project,” Professor Behera said. Terming the current site which has a dry weather he said, “The one km rock is very good to observe Muons coming from outer space.”
What are neutrinos?
Neutrinos are by far the most abundant particles in the universe. Understanding the elusive elementary particle is a frontline problem in modern physics.
They are produced in nuclear fusion processes that power the sun and stars. When a star goes supernova, the process generates an enormous spurt of neutrinos. The Big Bang produced neutrinos-particles that are still zooming through space.
A neutrino can pass right through the entire Earth without affecting any one of the nucleus or electrons on its way. About 100 trillion neutrinos pass through our body every second without interacting with any of the particles in your body.
