A Deep Ocean Anti-Neutrino Observatory: An Introduction to the Science Potential of Hanohano in Geophysics and Particle Physics

by Prof. John Learned (UHM)

Friday Sep 15, 2006, 3:00 PM → 5:00 PM Pacific/Honolulu

WAT 417 (University of Hawai'i, Manoa)

Hanohano is a proposed portable 10 kiloton liquid scintillation detector under study at UH for deployment in the deep ocean. It is designed to record the inverse beta interactions of anti-neutrinos from radioactive decays, both natural and those from reactors. Near Hawaii and other locations in the benthic deeps it can make the first measurements of the source of heat in the deep earth, presumed to be Uranium and Thorium. Off shore from nuclear reactor power stations, such as San Onofre in California, it can make unique and important measurements relating to neutrino mass and mixing. We will discuss these applications, and the status of the project.



Organizer: J.G. Learned