UK joins US neutrino detector project

BBC : The UK has announced it will be lending its support to the US Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment, one of several big neutrino experiments that have been proposed around the world. The LBNE will send a beam of trillions of neutrinos underground from Fermilab in Illinois over a distance of 1300 km to South Dakota’s Sanford Lab. Neutrinos, which are among the most abundant particles in the universe, are thought to be key to understanding fundamental principles about the nature of matter. The experiment is projected to cost some $1.5 billion. While the US has committed to $1 billion in funding, it has been seeking international partners to provide the remainder. The UK will be contributing some $30 million, and nine of its universities will be involved in the project, which is expected to be completed over the next decade.