Neutrino Astronomy

It is possible to get an early warning of a supernova by observing neutrinos. These incredibly light particles travel at nearly the speed of light and come out ahead of the massive explosion. But to catch them requires an incredibly sensitive detector. Fortunately, sensitive detectors were already on-line in 1987 to capture neutrinos from the supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Improvements in detection mean we can potentially detect and pinpoint the next supernovae. But neutrinos are everywhere, generated by stars and many other astronomical events. This talk will explain the various detectors and a brief history modern particle physics.

Speaker: Dr Bruce Cortez, UC Irvine