China is Building the World’s Largest Underwater Telescope to Capture Elusive Particles
Chinese scientists are constructing the world’s largest detector for capturing “ghost particles” at a depth of 3,500 meters below the ocean’s surface. This detector will be capable of detecting rare flashes of light produced by the elusive “ghost particles.” Those briefly become detectable in the ocean’s depths.
These particles, known as neutrinos, are so small that they can easily pass through the human body without causing any effect. They have no charge and almost no mass. And it makes them “invisible” and prevents them from interacting with other particles. This characteristic earned them the name “ghost particles.”
Neutrinos are the second most abundant particles in the universe after photons. They can be produced by powerful cosmic explosions, cosmic rays, radioactive decay, and other phenomena. They were first discovered in 1956 while exiting a nuclear reactor.
Neutrinos can pass through matter without obstacles, but occasionally, they interact with water molecules. When neutrinos pass through water or ice, they sometimes generate secondary products called muons. These muons create luminous flashes. By studying the patterns of these flashes, scientists can reconstruct the energy of the neutrinos and identify their sources.
China’s new, massive detector will have over 24,000 optical sensors. Scientists have announced that the pilot project will begin in 2026, and the fully operational detector will be launched in 2030.